Content warning: This media release contains information some readers may find distressing as it refers to data about stillbirth and the loss of a newborn.
More expectant mothers are accessing antenatal care, according to new data and long-term trends that paint a picture of the health and birth outcomes of mothers and babies in Australia.
'In 2023, 79% of women who gave birth accessed antenatal care in the first trimester of their pregnancy - an increase from 61% a decade ago in 2013,' AIHW spokesperson Louise Catanzariti said.
Released today by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW), Australia's mothers and babies also shows the average age of women who gave birth has increased over time.
'Our latest data shows that mothers are continuing to give birth later in life, with the average age of women who gave birth steadily increasing from 28.9 years in 1998 to 31.3 years in 2023,' Ms Catanzariti said.
'Over time, the proportion of women giving birth aged 35 and over has increased from 23% in 2010 to 28% in 2023, while the proportion aged under 25 has decreased from 18% to 11%.'
In 2023, there were 285,305 babies born, and the birth rate was 52 per 1,000 women. This is the lowest birth rate in the period from 1998, when AIHW started reporting this statistic, and continues a generally decreasing trend since 2007, when the birth rate was 66 per 1,000 women.
In 2023, almost all births in Australia took place in hospitals (97%). Of these, 3 in 4 mothers gave birth in a public hospital. A small number of births took place in birth centres (1.5%), at home (0.7%), or in other settings (0.7%).
'The data we collect and publish, provided by both public and private hospitals as well as other birth attendants across the country, give us insights on the birth outcomes for mothers and babies, including how factors like maternal age, method of birth, and birthweight have changed over time,' Ms Catanzariti said.
Pregnancy and birth
The rate of women giving birth by caesarean section rose every year from 2004 (29%) to 2023 (41%).
The report also contains new data from Victoria, Queensland and Western Australia on the types of maternity care women use.
Public hospital maternity care was the most common model of care, used by 45% of women who gave birth.
Around 1 in 9 women (11%) had the same midwife throughout their care using a midwifery group practice model, while 24% had continuity of carer through other models, mostly private obstetrician care.
Health of babies
The data also shows outcomes for a baby after birth, including gestational age, birthweight, Apgar score at 5 minutes after birth, resuscitation, baby's hospital length of stay and admission to special care nurseries or neonatal intensive care units in 2023.
The median gestational age - the duration of pregnancy in completed weeks - was 39 weeks, which has been stable since 2004.
Most babies (91%) in Australia were born at term (37-41 weeks), with 31% born at early term (37 or 38 weeks) and 60% at full term (39-41 weeks).
'Less than 1 in 10 babies (8.4%) were born pre-term, and of these, the majority were born between 32 and 36 completed weeks', Ms Catanzariti said.
'More than 9 in 10 (92%) liveborn babies were born with a normal birthweight in 2023. This proportion has been stable since 2010.'
'Behind the data are real experiences, including those of families who may face complex or distressing outcomes. These experiences are deeply personal and often carry lasting impacts.'
According to data from the National Perinatal Data collection (NPDC), the perinatal mortality rate in 2023 was 11.0 deaths per 1,000 births. Of these deaths, 4 in 5 were stillbirths (8.7 deaths per 1,000 births), and the remainder were neonatal deaths (2.3 deaths per 1,000 live births).
The neonatal death rate has remained relatively stable in recent years, ranging between 2.2 and 2.9 per 1,000 live births since 2010.
The stillbirth rate in 2023, at 8.7 per 1,000 births, is a continuation of increasing stillbirth rates observed in recent years. Factors contributing to the increase in the stillbirth rate may include a true increase in the number of stillbirths, and legislative changes leading to both better visibility of perinatal deaths and expanded access to terminations that are in scope of the NPDC.
The AIHW is working with jurisdictions to investigate these trends and will conduct further exploration and analysis once more detailed data from the National Perinatal Mortality Data Collection (NPMDC) are available, later this year.
Helplines
- Sands and Red Nose on 1300 308 307 for peer support, grief counselling, online forums, and resources for parents and families who have experienced stillbirth, miscarriage, or newborn death.
- Bears of Hope Pregnancy & Infant Loss Support on 1300 11 4673 for counselling, support groups, early loss support, and care packages to families experiencing loss.
- Stillbirth Foundation Australia
- PANDA (Perinatal Anxiety & Depression Australia) on 1300 726 306 for support with mental health and wellbeing during pregnancy and as a new parent.
