National core maternity indicators

Publication

Release Date: 07 Mar 2013

Topic: Mothers & babies

Media release

AIHW

Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (2013) National core maternity indicators, AIHW, Australian Government, accessed 29 April 2024.

APA

Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. (2013). National core maternity indicators. Canberra: AIHW.

MLA

Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. National core maternity indicators. AIHW, 2013.

Vancouver

Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. National core maternity indicators. Canberra: AIHW; 2013.

Harvard

Australian Institute of Health and Welfare 2013, National core maternity indicators, AIHW, Canberra.

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This is the first report of ten national core maternity indicators for monitoring the quality of maternity care in Australia. National rates have decreased for smoking in pregnancy, episiotomy among women having their first baby and giving birth vaginally and the proportion of babies born weighing less than 2,750 grams at or after 40 weeks. However for some indicators, including induction of labour, caesarean section and instrumental vaginal birth, rates have increased and point to areas for possible further attention.

ISBN: 978-1-74249-398-5
Cat. no: PER 58
Pages: 56

Findings from this report:

80% of women attended antenatal care during the first trimester
1.8% of babies were of low birthweight (less than 2,500 grams)
15.1% of women giving birth had an episiotomy in 2009, a decrease from 16.2% in 2004
14.5% of women smoked in pregnancy in 2009, a decrease from 16.7% in 2004

PDF report table of contents

Preliminary material: Acknowledgments; Abbreviations; Symbols; Summary

Introduction

The foundation of the national core maternity indicators
What are clinical indicators?
Current maternity indicator reporting in Australia

The national core maternity indicators

Data quality issues
Indicator 1 Smoking in pregnancy for all women giving birth
Indicator 2 Antenatal care in the first trimester for all women giving birth
Indicator 3 Episiotomy for women having their first baby and giving birth vaginally
Indicator 4 Apgar score of less than 7 at 5 minutes for births at or after term
Indicator 5 Induction of labour for selected women giving birth for the first time
Indicator 6 Caesarean section for selected women giving birth for the first time
Indicator 7 Normal (non-instrumental) vaginal birth for selected women giving birth for the first time
Indicator 8 Instrumental vaginal birth for selected women giving birth for the first time
Indicator 9 General anaesthetic for women giving birth by caesarean section
Indicator 10 Small babies among births at or after 40 weeks gestation

Appendixes

Appendix C: Indicator specifications
Appendix B: Methods
Appendix A: Expert Commentary Group

End matter: Glossary; References; List of tables; List of figures