INFANT AND MATERNAL HEALTH

The 2014–15 NATSISS collected information on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children aged 0–3 years and the health of their birth mother during pregnancy. It should be noted that although the child has been identified as being of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander origin, the birth mother may not be. In some instances, information about the child and the child's birth mother was provided by someone other than the birth mother.

The information presented here represents only a small selection of indicators of infant and maternal health. However, these indicators provide insight into general trends in knowledge and awareness of the importance of infant and maternal health, and may give an indication of broader behaviours and attitudes, with respect to receiving and following advice and current guidelines for mothers.

Check-ups during pregnancy

Regular check-ups during pregnancy are important for assessing and monitoring the health of a mother and her baby. In 2014–15, the majority (93%) of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children aged 0–3 years had a birth mother who went for check-ups during pregnancy (94% in non-remote and 93% in remote areas). This was also the case in 2008 (92%) (Table 6).

Risk factors during pregnancy

Smoking during pregnancy increases the risk of health problems for both mother and baby, including miscarriage, complications during the birth, low birth weight and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)[1]. Alcohol consumption during pregnancy also increases the risk of health problems, including Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) which can lead to learning and developmental disorders[2]. The 2014–15 NATSISS collected information on smoking and alcohol consumption during pregnancy from the birth mother of selected Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children aged 0–3 years. This information was only collected in interviews with birth mothers (that is, for 76% of selected Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children aged 0–3 years).

In 2014–15, around two in five (39%) Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children aged 0–3 years had a birth mother who had smoked or chewed tobacco during pregnancy, with similar proportions in non-remote (38%) and remote areas (42%). Since 2008, there has been a small decrease in the proportion of children with a birth mother who smoked or chewed tobacco during pregnancy (42%), however the difference is not statistically significant.

The proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children aged 0–3 years with a birth mother who drank alcohol during pregnancy halved between 2008 and 2014–15 (from 20% to 10%). While there have been decreases in maternal alcohol consumption in both non-remote and remote areas over this period, most of the overall improvement is due to a significant decrease in non-remote areas (from 20% in 2008 to 9% in 2014–15). The change in remote areas over this period was not statistically significant (Figure 7.4.1 and Table 6).

Figure 7.4.1. Alcohol consumption during pregnancy(a), by remoteness — 2008 and 2014–15


Folate intake during pregnancy

Folate, also known as folic acid, is a B-group vitamin which is essential for the healthy development of babies during early pregnancy. Folate taken before conception and during early pregnancy greatly reduces the risk of neural tube defects. The National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) recommends that women increase their daily intake of folate prior to, and during the early stages of, pregnancy[3].

The proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children aged 0–3 years whose birth mother took folate prior to, or during pregnancy, was 58% in 2014–15, up from 49% in 2008. The overall change in folate intake is due to an increase in non-remote areas (from 53% in 2008 to 63% in 2014–15). In 2014–15, rates for maternal folate intake prior to or during pregnancy were significantly higher in non-remote areas than in remote areas (63% compared with 40%) (Figure 7.4.2 and Table 6).

Figure 7.4.2. Folate intake during pregnancy(a), by remoteness — 2008 and 2014–15


Breastfeeding

In 2014–15, the majority (80%) of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children aged 0–3 years had been breastfed in both non-remote (79%) and remote (87%) areas. There has been no significant change in the breastfeeding rate since 2008 (76%) (Table 6).

Endnotes

1 Scollo, MM and Winstanley, MH, 2015. Tobacco in Australia: Facts and issues, Chapters 3.7 and 3.8. Melbourne: Cancer Council Victoria. <www.TobaccoInAustralia.org.au>; last accessed 20/04/2016.

2 Australian Drug Foundation, 2014. Alcohol, Pregnancy and Breastfeeding. North Melbourne: Australian Drug Foundation. <http://www.druginfo.adf.org.au/fact-sheets/pregnancy-breastfeeding-and-alcohol>; last accessed 20/04/2016.

3 National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC), 2006. Nutrient Reference Values for Australia and New Zealand Including Recommended Dietary Intakes, pp 248–9, Canberra :Commonwealth of Australia <https://www.nhmrc.gov.au/_files_nhmrc/publications/attachments/n35.pdf>; last accessed 20/04/2016.