Australia's mothers and babies

Although a range of data by First Nations status (those who self-reported as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander) has been presented in other sections, this section provides more in-depth information on First Nations mothers, babies born to First Nations mothers and First Nations babies.

Also see the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander mothers and babies report, which explores the demographics, risk factors and health outcomes for First Nations mothers and babies in more detail.

First Nations mothers

In 2022, First Nations mothers accounted for 5.2% (15,396) of women who gave birth.

Figure 1 presents data for First Nations women who gave birth, by selected maternal characteristics over a 13-year period (where available).

Figure 1: Proportion of First Nations women who gave birth, by selected topic

There have been improvements in outcomes for First Nations mothers in recent years, with:

• an increase in the proportion of First Nations mothers attending an antenatal visit in the first trimester (from 51% in 2013 to 71% in 2022)
• a decrease in the proportion of First Nations mothers who reported smoking at any time during pregnancy (from 49% in 2011 to 40% in 2022).

The proportion of First Nations teenage mothers (aged under 20) who gave birth has been gradually decreasing from 20% in 2010 to 9.7% in 2022.

Around 3 in 5 (59%) First Nations mothers had a non-instrumental vaginal birth, and around 1 in 3 (34%) gave birth by caesarean section. Most First Nations mothers had 5 or more antenatal visits (almost 9 in 10 or 87%).

Babies of First Nations mothers

In 2022, babies born to First Nations mothers accounted for 5.3% (15,647) of all births.

Figure 2 presents data for babies of First Nations mothers, by selected maternal and baby characteristics over a 13-year period (where available).

Figure 2: Proportion of liveborn babies of First Nations mothers, by selected topic

Most (86%) babies of First Nations mothers were born at term (born from 37 to 41 weeks) and with a normal birthweight (87%) (birthweight between 2,500 and 4,499 grams; also referred to as 'healthy birthweight').

A high proportion of babies of First Nations mothers had an appropriate birthweight adjusted for gestational age (77%), with 13% of babies born to First Nations mothers being small for gestational age.

Almost all babies of First Nations mothers (97%) had an Apgar score of 7–10 at 5 minutes after birth, indicating that they have adapted well post-birth.

Babies of First Nations mothers most commonly had a hospital stay of 2–3 days (42%), with 30% having a stay of 1 day and 9.8% having a stay of 6 days or more.

First Nations babies

First Nations babies are those whose mother or father (or both parents) are First Nations. In 2022, First Nations babies accounted for 6.5% (19,458) of all births. A high proportion of First Nations babies were born at term (87%).

In 2022, 88% of First Nations babies had a normal, or healthy, birthweight. Increasing the proportion of First Nations babies with a healthy birthweight to 91% by 2031, is one of the targets in the National Agreement on Closing the Gap.

The outcomes for First Nations babies and babies of First Nations mothers are very similar. Figure 3 presents data for First Nations babies, by selected maternal and baby characteristics over a 10-year period (where available).

Figure 3: Proportion of liveborn First Nations babies, by selected topic

Remoteness area

Remoteness area can influence several key statistics for First Nations mothers and babies. For example, First Nations mothers who live in Very remote areas are more likely to smoke. These and other statistics can be explored in Figure 4.

Figure 4: Key statistics of First Nations mothers and their babies by remoteness area

Despite improvements, First Nations mothers and babies continue to experience poorer health outcomes than non-Indigenous mothers and babies in some areas. There are complex interactions between maternal and perinatal health outcomes and the determinants of health, including both social determinants and health risk factors.

Further, First Nations women living in remote areas can experience poorer health outcomes, which are compounded by factors related to geographic isolation, such as poorer access to appropriate housing, essential services and employment opportunities (AIHW 2020). Access to culturally safe health care plays a significant role in the health outcomes for First Nations women and girls (AIHW, 2023).

For more information on First Nations babies and babies born to First Nations mothers see National Perinatal Data Collection annual update data tables 3.4 and 3.12 and National Perinatal Data Collection annual update data visualisations table 5.1.

References

AIHW (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare) (2023) Cultural safety in health care for Indigenous Australians: monitoring framework, AIHW, Australian Government, accessed 9 September 2024.