Warning against travel in late pregnancy
Perinatal Society of Australia and New Zealand, 5th Annual Congress, Canberra
A Queensland study has found that women who travel long distances from home during late pregnancy are risking unnecessary financial and social stress in the event of a premature birth.
Results of the study are being presented at the Perinatal Society of Australia and New Zealand (PSANZ) 5th Annual Congress in Canberra this week.
A large number of babies admitted to the Neonatal Unit at the Royal Women's Hospital in Brisbane between January 1996 and October 2000 were from home addresses outside Queensland and northern NSW.
In total, almost 10% of babies born under 24 weeks of age in the hospital were born to travelling mothers.
Study co-author and Head of the Royal Women's Hospital Neonatal Unit, Dr David Cartwright, said all of these infants needed lengthy stays in the neonatal intensive care unit.
"Of 20 premature infants we studied, 15 of the mothers were travelling through Queensland on holiday, while the five others were visiting relatives in Queensland or attending weddings.
"Eighteen of these 20 women went into pre-term labour, and 14 of the babies required ventilation for an average 57 hours after birth. Three of the 20 infants died prior to discharge and the remaining 17 had an average length of stay in our hospital of 41 days," Dr Cartwright said.
"We are urging all women to be extremely careful about travelling any time after the start of the second trimester of pregnancy.
"Apart from the impact on the health of the child, the majority of the mothers involved in this study required long-term accommodation in Brisbane at not insignificant cost.
"These unforeseen complications can result in a substantial financial and social burden on families," he warned.
Dr Cartwright will be presenting results of the study at the PSANZ Congress this Friday 16 March at 1.00pm 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.