Summary
Health of mothers and babies
is an Australia's health
topic
The health and birth experiences of both mothers and babies has important ongoing implications for them as well as for the broader society. The health and wellbeing of a woman prior to becoming pregnant and during their pregnancy, and the services and support they receive, can have protective or detrimental effects for their labour and birth, the outcomes for their baby and for everyone in the community.
Factors such as a mother’s age and where they live can impact on both maternal and perinatal health. Being supported to maintain a healthy lifestyle and having access to high quality maternity care contributes to better outcomes for both mother and baby. Additionally, the health of a baby at birth is a key determinant of their health and wellbeing throughout life.
This page uses data from the National Perinatal Data Collection, the National Maternal Mortality Data Collection and the National Perinatal Mortality Data Collection to explore aspects of pregnancy and childbirth as well as key outcomes for babies at birth. These data collections are coordinated by the AIHW in collaboration with the state and territory governments, with data provided from all public and private maternity services across Australia.
For information on mothers and babies from population groups, such as mothers who were born overseas and mothers who lived in remote areas see the data broken down by these topics throughout the chapters in this report.
For information on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (First Nations) people, see the data broken down by this focus population throughout the chapters in this report, the dedicated chapters in the Focus population groups section and Stillbirths and neonatal deaths section and a separate report on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander mothers and babies.
Mothers
Key facts, Australian mothers
- 31.2 years was the average maternal age
- 73% of mothers lived in Major cities
- 2.3% of mothers lived in Remote or Very remote areas
- 5.2% (15,396) of mothers were First Nations
- 66% mothers were born in Australia
- 1.4% of mothers had a multiple birth.
Birth rate returned to 2020 level
In 2022, there were 297,725 babies born to 293,435 mothers in Australia and the rate of women of reproductive age (aged 15 to 44 years) giving birth was 56 per 1,000 women (Figure 1). This is a return to the rate for 2020 (56 per 1,000 women) – after a spike in 2021 (61 per 1,000 women) – and in line with a generally decreasing trend since 2007 (down from 66 per 1,000 women in 2007).
Figure 1: Birth rate in Australia, 1998 to 2022
| Year | Rate per 1,000 |
|---|---|
| 1998 | 60.5 |
| 1999 | 60.8 |
| 2000 | 60.5 |
| 2001 | 59.4 |
| 2002 | 59.2 |
| 2003 | 59.3 |
| 2004 | 59.1 |
| 2005 | 62.2 |
| 2006 | 64 |
| 2007 | 65.8 |
| 2008 | 65.3 |
| 2009 | 64.6 |
| 2010 | 63.9 |
| 2011 | 63.7 |
| 2012 | 64.8 |
| 2013 | 63.3 |
| 2014 | 63.2 |
| 2015 | 61.7 |
| 2016 | 62.3 |
| 2017 | 59.7 |
| 2018 | 58.5 |
| 2019 | 57.8 |
| 2020 | 56.2 |
| 2021 | 60.5 |
| 2022 | 56.2 |
Notes:
- Rate per 1,000 women of reproductive age.
- For birth rates, the numerator includes all women who gave birth and the denominator is the Australian female Estimated Resident Population (ERP) aged 15-44 for a given year.
- Estimated resident populations, used in the calculation of birth rates, are subject to revision over time. The data presented are based on the latest available estimates at time of publication and may differ slightly from those published in previous and subsequent releases.
Source: AIHW analysis of National Perinatal Data Collection.
Mothers are giving birth later in life
The average age of women who gave birth has steadily increased from 30.0 years in 2010 to 31.2 in 2022. Over this same period, the average age for first-time mothers increased from 28.3 to 29.8.
Over time, the proportion of women giving birth aged 35 and over has increased (from 23% in 2011 to 27% in 2022), while the proportion aged under 25 has decreased (18% to 11%).
For more information, see Demographics of mothers and babies.
Most mothers accessed antenatal care
In 2022, 78% of women who gave birth accessed antenatal care in the first trimester of their pregnancy (an increase from 61% in 2013), and 94% had 5 or more antenatal care visits (an increase from 93% in 2018).
Also in 2022, in relation to the Australian Pregnancy Care Guidelines (Department of Health and Aged Care 2020) recommendations:
- 59% of all mothers had antenatal care within the first 10 weeks of pregnancy
- 56% of women pregnant for the first time had 10 or more antenatal care visits
- 82% of pregnant women who have previously had an uncomplicated pregnancy had 7 or more antenatal care visits.
For more information, see Antenatal period.
The majority of women do not consume alcohol during pregnancy and fewer mothers are smoking
In 2022, the majority of women reported they did not consume alcohol during pregnancy (95% in the first 20 weeks of pregnancy and 97% after 20 weeks). This is similar to the proportions for 2020 and 2021 (94% and 96%, and 95% and 97%, respectively).
The proportion of women who reported smoking at any time during pregnancy has fallen from 13% in 2011 to 8.3% in 2022. Of mothers who were smoking at the start of their pregnancy, around 1 in 3 (30%) quit smoking during the pregnancy.
The proportion of mothers giving birth by caesarean section continues to rise
The rate of spontaneous labour decreased between 2010 and 2020 (from 56% to 41%) and has remained stable since, at 41% in both 2021 and 2022. This corresponds to an increase in the rate of induced labour between 2010 and 2020 (from 25% to 36%). There has been a slight decrease in the rate of induction since 2020 (34% in 2021 and 33% in 2022). Between 2010 and 2022, the rate of no labour has steadily increased from 19% to 26%.
The rate of women giving birth by caesarean section has risen, from 32% in 2010 to 39% in 2022. Conversely, the proportion of mothers who had a non-instrumental vaginal birth has fallen (from 56% in 2010 to 49% in 2022). The proportion of instrumental vaginal births has remained relatively stable (12% in both 2010 and 2022).
For more information, see Labour and birth.
More First Nations mothers are accessing antenatal care and fewer are smoking during pregnancy
There were improvements over the past decade in antenatal care access by First Nations mothers in the first trimester (increase from 51% in 2013 to 71% in 2022) and smoking at any time during pregnancy (decrease from 49% in 2011 to 40% in 2022).
For more information, see First Nations mothers and babies.
There are an average of 19 maternal deaths per year
Maternal death (the death of a woman while pregnant or within 42 days of the end of pregnancy) is rare in Australia, and all maternal deaths are reviewed by health professionals to determine the likely cause and whether the pregnancy contributed to the death.
In 2021, the maternal mortality ratio was 5.8 deaths per 100,000 women giving birth (18 maternal deaths). The most common cause of maternal death was cardiovascular disease.
Between 2012 and 2021, the maternal mortality ratio was between 5.2 and 8.4 per 100,000 women giving birth (191 maternal deaths), with an average of 19 maternal deaths per year.
For more information, see Maternal deaths.
Babies
Key facts, Australian babies
- 39 weeks was the median gestational age
- 7.2 per 1,000 babies were stillborn
- 6.1% (19,155) of babies were First Nations
- babies' sex: 49% were female and 51% were male
- 2.7% of babies were multiple births.
9 in 10 babies were born at term
In 2022, the median gestational age was 39 weeks and 91% of babies were born at term. There has been little change in the proportion of pre-term (less than 37 weeks’ gestation) births ranging from a low of 8.3% (in both 2010 and 2022) to a high of 8.7% (in 2018).
Rates of low birthweight are stable
In 2022, 92% of liveborn babies were born with a healthy birthweight. This proportion has been similar since 2010, ranging from 91.9% in 2010 to a high of 92.5% in 2021. Over the same period, the rate of low birthweight (less than 2,500 grams) babies fluctuated between 6.2% and 6.7%; it was 6.5% in 2022.
Most babies had an Apgar score over 7 and did not require resuscitation
Consistent with recent trends, the vast majority (98%) of liveborn babies in 2022 had an Apgar score of 7 or more at 5 minutes after birth. In 2022, 79 per 100 liveborn babies did not require resuscitation. Where resuscitation was required, continuous positive airway ventilation (CPAP) was the most common method.
An average of 6 babies are stillborn every day
In 2021, 9.6 per 1,000 babies (3,016) died in the perinatal period. Of these deaths, three-quarters were stillbirths (7.2 deaths per 1,000 births (2,278)) and the remainder were neonatal deaths (2.4 deaths per 1,000 live births (738)).
While there has been no consistent trend over the period from 2003, between 2010 and 2015 the stillbirth rate appeared to decline. Since 2015 it has fluctuated, with an unusually low rate in 2016 of 6.7 per 1,000 births and then unusually high rates in 2020 and in the preliminary data for 2022 (7.7 and 7.9 per 1,000 births respectively). Some of the fluctuation over this period has coincided with the commencement of the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2019–20 bushfires, fluctuations in the underlying birth rate and improved data availability in some areas. The AIHW is working with the jurisdictions to investigate these trends and clarify the drivers for these changes.
For more information, see Stillbirths and neonatal deaths.
Where do I go for more information?
For more information on the health of mothers and babies, see:
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander mothers and babies
- Congenital anomalies in Australia
- Maternity models of care in Australia
- National Core Maternity Indicators
- Older mothers in Australia.
References
Department of Health and Aged Care (2020) Clinical practice guidelines: pregnancy care, Department of Health and Aged Care, Australian Government, accessed 1 July 2024.