Australia’s mothers and babies 2007

Introduction

This data summarised below is provided to help you as a clinician or researcher understand the current trends in reproductive medicine within Australia.

The information is based upon data from the publication Laws P & Sullivan EA 2009. Australia’s mothers and babies 2007. Perinatal statistics series no. 23. Cat. no. PER 48. Sydney: AIHW National Perinatal Statistics Unit and is provided for educational purposes only. The original full publication is available online from AIHW Perinatal statistics series no. 23.

Links: AIHW Perinatal statistics series no. 23 | AIHW National Perinatal Statistics Unit | Australian Statistics | Statistics- Australian Maternal Statistics

Mothers

289,496 women gave birth resulting in a total of 294,205 births
- increase of 4.3% from 2006, and 14.4% increase since 2004
2,177 were fetal deaths
29.9 years was the maternal mean age in 2007
- compared with 28.9 years in 1998
41.6% of mothers had their first baby and 33.5% had their second baby
10,883 women were Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander (3.8% of all women who gave birth)
- 39.5% of all mothers in the Northern Territory
- 25.2 years was the average age of women who gave birth

Assisted reproduction technology

3.1% women received ART treatment
- ranging from 1.4% in the Australian Capital Territory to 3.7% in Tasmania
34.1 years was the average age of women who received ART
62.7% of mothers who received ART treatment were having their first baby and 37.3% had given birth previously

Smoking during pregnancy

16.6% of women smoked during pregnancy
- this proportion has changed little over the previous five years