Annual Report - Consultative Council on Obstetric & Paediatric Mortality & Morbidity (CCOPMM)
Page content: Maternal deaths | Perinatal deaths | Deaths of postneonatal infants & children
The Executive Summary from 2005 Annual Report is reproduced below. For further information on maternal and perinatal deaths, and deaths of postnatal infants and children is available from the Annual Report for the Year 2005.
Maternal deaths
- In Victoria in 2005, there were 65,429 confinements. There were 3 direct, 4 indirect and 0 incidental maternal deaths. The maternal mortality ratio (direct and indirect deaths) was 10.5 per 100,000 confinements, compared with 16.0 for 2004.
Perinatal deaths
- Of the 66,640 births, 599 were stillborn and 247 infants died within the first month of life. The perinatal mortality rate was 12.7 per 1,000 births, compared with 12.8 for 2004. One out of approximately every 79 babies with a gestation of ≥20 weeks or birthweight ≥400g, was either stillborn or died in the first month of life.
- The stillbirth rate was 9.0 per 1,000 births (9.6 in 2004). Terminations of pregnancy for psychosocial indications comprised 30% of stillbirths. More than half of these procedures were performed on women not residing in Victoria. When adjusted for these terminations, the stillbirth rate was stable at 6.3 per 1,000 births. The other leading causes of stillbirth were unexplained stillbirth (19% of stillbirths) and terminations for congenital malformations (14% of stillbirths). Many of the ‘unexplained’ stillbirths were under-investigated.
- The neonatal death rate was 3.7 per 1,000 live births (3.3 in 2004). The leading causes of neonatal death were congenital abnormalities (34%) and spontaneous preterm birth (34%). Forty five of the 84 neonatal deaths attributed to congenital abnormalities were as a result of terminations of pregnancy.
- The adjusted perinatal mortality rate for multiple births was 4.5 times higher than that of singletons (40.0 per 1,000 births for multiple births compared with 8.9 per 1,000 singleton births). The neonatal mortality rate for multiple births was 6.7 times higher than for singleton births (20.6 per 1,000 multiple livebirths compared to 3.1 per 1,000 singleton livebirths).
- The adjusted perinatal mortality rate for the Indigenous population (women who gave birth and who identified as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander) was 1.6 times higher than that for the non-Indigenous population (15.5 per 1,000 Indigenous births compared with 9.8 per 1,000 non-Indigenous births). The neonatal mortality rate for Indigenous births was 2.7 times higher than for non-Indigenous births (9.3 per 1,000 Indigenous livebirths compared to 3.4 per 1,000 non-Indigenous livebirths).
Deaths of postneonatal infants & children
- The infant mortality rate was 4.4 per 1,000 live births (3.9 in 2004). Three hundred and twenty-nine infants died in the first year of life: 247 of these infant deaths occurred in the first month of life, and 82 between one month of age and the first birthday. The commonest causes of death in postneonatal infants were birth defects and genetic conditions, followed by conditions determined at birth (eg prematurity, birth asphyxia).
- Sixteen infant deaths (including one neonatal death) were attributed to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). The number of deaths from SIDS for postneonatal infants has fallen from 128 in 1985 to 15 in 2005.
- Forty three children aged 1 to 4 years died. The death rate for children aged 1-4 years was 17.6 per 100,000 population. The leading causes of death for this age group were birth defects and genetic conditions, followed by deaths due to malignancies.
- Thirty four children aged 5 to 9 years died. The death rate for children aged 5-9 years was 10.7 per 100,000 population. The leading causes of death for this age group were malignancy, motor vehicle accidents and other acquired disease which includes asthma.
- Thirty one children aged 10 to 14 years died. The death rate for children aged 10-14 years was 9.3 per 100,000 population. The leading causes of death for this age group were birth defects and genetic conditions and malignancy.· Fifty seven children aged 15 to 17 years died. This is the first year that Council has reported on this age group. The death rate for children aged 15-17 years was 28.5 per 100,000 population. The leading causes of death for this age group were suicide and motor vehicle accidents.
- Seven postneonatal infants and 14 children (aged 1-17 years) died as a result of infection. Twenty six children (aged 1- 17 years) died as a result of motor vehicle accidents (12 children aged 1-14 years and 14 children aged 15-17 years).
- Two infants and five children (aged 1-17 years) died as the result of drowning. Two infants drowned in adult baths.
- 16 children aged 14-17 years died as a result of suicide.