More low birthweight babies are surviving in New Zealand -
Perinatal Society of Australia and New Zealand, 5th Annual Congress, Canberra
More than 90% of New Zealand's very low birthweight babies are now surviving to go home, according to a study being presented at the Perinatal Society of Australia and New Zealand (PSANZ) 5th Annual Congress in Canberra this week.
Conducted by the Department of Paediatrics, Christchurch School of Medicine, University of Otago in New Zealand and the Centre for Perinatal Health Services Research, University of Sydney in Australia, the study found that high-risk newborns of very low birthweight represent 3% (3,368) of all live babies born in New Zealand.
Of this number, more than one third (37%) are born at less than 32 weeks old and 32% are born weighing less then 1500g.
A total of 3,183 (94.5%) of these babies survived to go home in 1998-99.
This compared with 1986 statistics showing 82% of low birthweight babies (less than 1500g) in New Zealand survived.
The studies concluded that the low death rates reflected improvements in quality of care.
"Continued collaboration and audit will help to improve the quality of care of high risk newborns and their families, by monitoring changes in the high-risk newborn population," study author and University of Otago Professor, Brian Darlow, said.
The study is being presented at the PSANZ Congress this Thursday 15 March at 1pm EST.
The Perinatal Society of Australia and New Zealand is an organisation of healthcare professionals dedicated to the care of mother and baby during pregnancy, birth and early childhood.