NT: Aboriginal deaths during childbirth unreported: study

AAP General News (Australia)
04-18-2008
NT: Aboriginal deaths during childbirth unreported: study

DARWIN, April 18 AAP - At least one woman dies every two weeks during childbirth in
Australia, with large numbers of maternal deaths in Aboriginal communities being unreported,
according to new research.

The findings have prompted Charles Darwin University (CDU) researcher Associate Professor
Sue Kildea to call on the federal government to overhaul its maternal death review process.

Prof Kildea's study found that upgrading the reporting system was necessary to prevent
further avoidable deaths.

"We are not doing as well as other similar countries in this respect," Dr Kildea said
in a statement.

"The monitoring and reporting system needs to be strengthened in rigour ... .

"Despite being the marker of the health system's performance, maternal deaths appear
to have low priority in Australia due to poor resourcing and under-reporting of deaths
and indigenous status."

Co-authored by CDU's Professor Lesley Barclay, the research paper Making Pregnancy
Safer in Australia: the Importance of Maternal Death review found Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islander women were more at risk of maternal death in Australia.

So too are women in rural and remote areas.

Prof Kildea said in Australia at least one woman died every fortnight as a result of
childbearing.

This emphasises the need for key professionals such as midwives, general practice obstetricians
and obstetric specialists to work within effective health systems, she said.

"Maternal death review is an essential component of any maternity service," Dr Kildea said.

"This study reinforces the need to further investigate Australia's review process,
and to allocate more resources to improve the quality, timeliness and capacity of maternal
death and severe maternal morbidity review in Australia."

AAP tr/jfm

KEYWORD: CHILDBIRTH

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