Birth Outcomes
The Gudaga Study extracted antenatal and obstetric data from electronic medical records on the birth and birth outcomes for 178 Aboriginal and 1,869 non-Aborignal infants and their mothers. We used these data to study birth outcomes for mothers and their infants.
Mothers of Aboriginal infants were younger than mothers of non-Aboriginal infants, and were more likely to be:
- a single mother;
- less educated;
- unemployed prior to pregnancy; and
- living in a disadvantaged suburb.
Mothers of Aboriginal infants (77%) were significantly more likely to have a vaginal delivery than mothers of non-Aboriginal infants (63%). They were also less likely than mothers of non-Aboriginal infants to receive an intervention during delivery.
At delivery, Aboriginal infants (3.3kg) weighed an average of 138g less than non-Aboriginal infants (3.4 kg). A number of factors were associated with a lower birth weight including:
- gestational age;
- a single mother;
- less educated;
- prior unemployment;
- smoking; and
- living in a disadvantaged suburb.
Using a causal pathway analysis we were able to show that many of these factors are associated and have a cumulative negative effect on maternal and infant birth outcomes.
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- Last Updated on 02 November 2011
