Data sources

National Perinatal Data Collection

The National Perinatal Data Collection (NPDC) is a national population-based cross-sectional collection of data on pregnancy and childbirth. The data are based on births reported to the perinatal data collection in each state and territory in Australia. Midwives and other birth attendants, using information obtained from mothers and from hospital or other records, complete notification forms for each birth. A standard de-identified extract is provided to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) on an annual basis to form the NPDC.

Detailed information on completeness, accuracy and other aspects of data quality for the National Perinatal Data Collection (NPDC) is in the data quality statement.

National Perinatal Mortality Data Collection

Scope

The National Perinatal Mortality Data Collection (NPMDC) is a population-based cross-sectional collection of data regarding the deaths of babies in hospitals and in the community, and includes all neonatal deaths and stillbirths of a baby at least 20 weeks gestation or at least 400 grams birthweight, during pregnancy, birth or within 28 days of birth.

The NPMDC commenced with the 2013 birth cohort and builds on information collected in the NPDC. Common identifier fields in the NPDC and NPMDC allow demographic information regarding perinatal death records in the NPMDC to be retrieved from the NPDC for reporting.

There are 33 voluntary data items collected in the NPMDC which are supplied by state and territory health authorities using a standard de-identified extract to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) on an annual basis. Data specifications supplied to jurisdictions for collection are included in the supplementary tables.

Detailed information on completeness, accuracy and other aspects of data quality for the NPMDC is in the data quality statement.

Data timeliness

The NPMDC data cannot be finalised for a calendar year until all Jurisdictional Mortality Review Committee reports that apply to that period are complete. Jurisdictions coordinate and facilitate data collection procedures from service providers and the updating of records.

NPMDC data for 2018 was requested from states and territories on 26 June 2020 for submission to the AIHW by 14 August 2020. Data were received from 4 jurisdictions by this date. Data suppliers in some jurisdictions have given feedback that a request for data 17 months after the end of the collection period is unachievable as some data (particularly pertaining to PSANZ classification codes and contributory factors) are still waiting to be compiled at this stage.

Timelines for reporting perinatal deaths 2018 data are outlined in Figure 1. The NPMDC data for 2018 was finalised and reported 23 months after the end of the collection period.

Figure 2: Months since the end of the 2018 calendar period and public reporting of National Perinatal Mortality Data Collection, by jurisdiction

This figure shows that the time taken to collate, review and classify deaths as part of the 2018 National Perinatal Mortality Data Collection varied by jurisdiction. The time taken to supply the AIHW with the 2018 perinatal mortality data ranged from 18 to 21 months. One jurisdiction did not supply data.

Source: National Perinatal Mortality Data Collection

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