Indian mums along with Maori & Pacifica, more likely to loose babies at the time of birth, new report finds
A new report has found Indian mothers, along with Maori and Pacifica were more likely to die in pregnancy or within the first 28 days than the babies of New Zealand European mothers.
The report released by the Perinatal and Maternal Mortality Review Committee (PMMRC) also linked the comparatively high incidence of perinatal and neonatal mortality with socio-economic deprivation.
Perinatal mortality is defined as any mortality after 22 weeks of gestation to seven days after birth, whereas Neonatal mortality includes the death of a child within 28 days after birth (including stillbirth).
By prioritised ethnic group, neonatal mortality rates were statistically significantly higher in babies born to mothers of Indian, Pacific and Maori ethnicities, compared with babies with New Zealand European mothers.
In fact, the Indian ethnic group was also behind Middle Eastern, Latin American, or African groups in neonatal mortality rates.
PMMRC has started collecting data on Perinatal and neonatal mortality from 2007 with the goal of consistently improvising the deliverables of the maternity sector in New Zealand. Since then there have been overall perinatal related deaths have reduced significantly – decreasing significantly among babies of New Zealand European mothers, but not for any other ethnic group.
The PMMRC reviews deaths of mothers and babies in Aotearoa New Zealand and advises the Health Quality & Safety Commission (the Commission) on how to reduce those deaths.
It also reviews cases of neonatal encephalopathy, changes in the brain that can be caused by lack of oxygen in babies during pregnancy or birth.
The Chair of the PMMRC, Mr John Tait acknowledged the inequity shown in the report and called upon a comprehensive action on the part of the government, including an urgent implementation of half of the recommendations made earlier by the organisation in the last 13 years.
Around half of the recommendations made by the PMMRC over the past 13 years have yet to be implemented fully. Recommendations include investing in maternal and infant mental health and creating an appropriate and equitable national perinatal bereavement pathway. Other recommendations are organised by five target groups: health practitioners, district health boards (DHBs), colleges and regulatory bodies, government, and researchers.
‘It is important government departments, agencies and DHBs invest in developing and maintaining effective systems and processes so that health practitioners can implement these recommendations,’ John Tait said.
In 2018, sadly, 604 babies died from 20 weeks of pregnancy until 27 days of age, the PMMRC report noted.
Nearly 10 women die each year in NZ either during pregnancy or soon after the baby is born. Suicide continues to be the leading cause of maternal death in Aotearoa/New Zealand and particularly affects Maori.
For this PMMRC strongly recommends making a targeted investment in maternal mental health a key priority for funding by the Ministry of Health.
Among the causes of perinatal and neonatal mortality, congenital anomalies remain the leading cause of death overall.
According to the World Health Organisation, congenital anomalies are defined as structural or functional anomalies (for example, metabolic disorders) that occur during intrauterine life.
Socio-economic factors responsible for perinatal mortality
Although approximately 50% of all congenital anomalies cannot be linked to a specific cause, yet global experts identify socio-economic and demographic factors as one of the leading causes.
An indirect determinant of congenital anomalies, with a higher frequency among resource-constrained families and demography implying that higher risk relates to a possible lack of access to sufficient, nutritious foods by pregnant women, increased exposure to agents or factors such as infection and alcohol, or poorer access to healthcare and screening.
Mortality rates varied significantly by the level of socioeconomic deprivation in the areas where mothers lived, as measured by the New Zealand Index of Deprivation 2013 (NZDep2013).
Those mothers living in the most deprived areas (quintile 5) were statistically significantly more likely to lose a baby from stillbirth, neonatal death and perinatal related death overall, compared with those living in any other quintile.
This variation in mortality rates by deprivation was most marked for deaths due to spontaneous preterm labour or rupture of membranes.
Maternal age also a key factor in mortality
The report also found that the other leading cause of child mortality was pregnant mother’s age, with babies of mothers aged less than 20 years high in mortality. Mortality also increased somewhat for babies of mothers aged 40 years and over.
Covid-19 had impacted care and support during childbirth
The report makes an important observation that the COVID-19 outbreak in 2020 has impacted on maternity care in a number of ways. The families were not able to attend hospital births and the maternity sector was challenged with the need to care for people giving birth while following recommendations to stay out of the hospital as much as possible.
PMMRC will take these conditions into account when examining 2020 data and reporting on them in 2022.
A new report has found Indian mothers, along with Maori and Pacifica were more likely to die in pregnancy or within the first 28 days than the babies of New Zealand European mothers.
The report released by the Perinatal and Maternal Mortality Review Committee (PMMRC) also linked the comparatively...
A new report has found Indian mothers, along with Maori and Pacifica were more likely to die in pregnancy or within the first 28 days than the babies of New Zealand European mothers.
The report released by the Perinatal and Maternal Mortality Review Committee (PMMRC) also linked the comparatively high incidence of perinatal and neonatal mortality with socio-economic deprivation.
Perinatal mortality is defined as any mortality after 22 weeks of gestation to seven days after birth, whereas Neonatal mortality includes the death of a child within 28 days after birth (including stillbirth).
By prioritised ethnic group, neonatal mortality rates were statistically significantly higher in babies born to mothers of Indian, Pacific and Maori ethnicities, compared with babies with New Zealand European mothers.
In fact, the Indian ethnic group was also behind Middle Eastern, Latin American, or African groups in neonatal mortality rates.
PMMRC has started collecting data on Perinatal and neonatal mortality from 2007 with the goal of consistently improvising the deliverables of the maternity sector in New Zealand. Since then there have been overall perinatal related deaths have reduced significantly – decreasing significantly among babies of New Zealand European mothers, but not for any other ethnic group.
The PMMRC reviews deaths of mothers and babies in Aotearoa New Zealand and advises the Health Quality & Safety Commission (the Commission) on how to reduce those deaths.
It also reviews cases of neonatal encephalopathy, changes in the brain that can be caused by lack of oxygen in babies during pregnancy or birth.
The Chair of the PMMRC, Mr John Tait acknowledged the inequity shown in the report and called upon a comprehensive action on the part of the government, including an urgent implementation of half of the recommendations made earlier by the organisation in the last 13 years.
Around half of the recommendations made by the PMMRC over the past 13 years have yet to be implemented fully. Recommendations include investing in maternal and infant mental health and creating an appropriate and equitable national perinatal bereavement pathway. Other recommendations are organised by five target groups: health practitioners, district health boards (DHBs), colleges and regulatory bodies, government, and researchers.
‘It is important government departments, agencies and DHBs invest in developing and maintaining effective systems and processes so that health practitioners can implement these recommendations,’ John Tait said.
In 2018, sadly, 604 babies died from 20 weeks of pregnancy until 27 days of age, the PMMRC report noted.
Nearly 10 women die each year in NZ either during pregnancy or soon after the baby is born. Suicide continues to be the leading cause of maternal death in Aotearoa/New Zealand and particularly affects Maori.
For this PMMRC strongly recommends making a targeted investment in maternal mental health a key priority for funding by the Ministry of Health.
Among the causes of perinatal and neonatal mortality, congenital anomalies remain the leading cause of death overall.
According to the World Health Organisation, congenital anomalies are defined as structural or functional anomalies (for example, metabolic disorders) that occur during intrauterine life.
Socio-economic factors responsible for perinatal mortality
Although approximately 50% of all congenital anomalies cannot be linked to a specific cause, yet global experts identify socio-economic and demographic factors as one of the leading causes.
An indirect determinant of congenital anomalies, with a higher frequency among resource-constrained families and demography implying that higher risk relates to a possible lack of access to sufficient, nutritious foods by pregnant women, increased exposure to agents or factors such as infection and alcohol, or poorer access to healthcare and screening.
Mortality rates varied significantly by the level of socioeconomic deprivation in the areas where mothers lived, as measured by the New Zealand Index of Deprivation 2013 (NZDep2013).
Those mothers living in the most deprived areas (quintile 5) were statistically significantly more likely to lose a baby from stillbirth, neonatal death and perinatal related death overall, compared with those living in any other quintile.
This variation in mortality rates by deprivation was most marked for deaths due to spontaneous preterm labour or rupture of membranes.
Maternal age also a key factor in mortality
The report also found that the other leading cause of child mortality was pregnant mother’s age, with babies of mothers aged less than 20 years high in mortality. Mortality also increased somewhat for babies of mothers aged 40 years and over.
Covid-19 had impacted care and support during childbirth
The report makes an important observation that the COVID-19 outbreak in 2020 has impacted on maternity care in a number of ways. The families were not able to attend hospital births and the maternity sector was challenged with the need to care for people giving birth while following recommendations to stay out of the hospital as much as possible.
PMMRC will take these conditions into account when examining 2020 data and reporting on them in 2022.
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