Maternal and neonatal health outcomes for First Nations Australian women and children: A retrospective cohort study in a Western Sydney metropolitan tertiary referral centre

Abstract

AimTo analyse key pregnancy and birth outcomes for First Nations women and children at a Western Sydney metropolitan tertiary referral centre.MethodsThe birth and health‐determining characteristics of 470 First Nations infants born at Nepean Hospital in 2018 and their mothers were included in a retrospective audit and compared with a contemporaneous control group of 470 infants and their mothers.ResultsMothers of First Nations infants had significantly higher rates of socioeconomic disadvantage (P < 0.001), psychosocial vulnerability (P < 0.007), mental illness (P < 0.001), teenage pregnancy (P < 0.001), smoking (45.6% vs. 19.4%, P < 0.001) and drug and alcohol use than control mothers (P < 0.001, P < 0.048). First Nations peoples did not have increased rates of maternal morbidity, nor any difference in rates of Caesarean section, resuscitation at birth, NICU admission, preterm birth or low birth weight in multivariable analysis. However, multivariable analysis demonstrated significant associations between low birth weight and maternal smoking (P < 0.001), hypertension (P < 0.01) and drug use (P < 0.01).ConclusionsDespite challenges facing First Nations mothers and infants, our study found no significant difference in maternal morbidity nor adverse birth outcomes for First Nations infants. The study occurred in the context of culturally specific, First Nations‐led antenatal and infant services. Future studies should further investigate relationships between participation in these services and health outcomes. This could identify strengths and areas for improvement in current services, with the goal of further improving outcomes for First Nations peoples through targeted health services that address their psychosocial vulnerabilities and support women to make healthy choices during pregnancy.