Of the Australian women who give birth, 23% are over 35 but these older mothers account for 40% of maternal deaths across the country, a study has revealed.
Australia has the second highest rate of births to older women among 14 developed countries – behind only Spain, where 35% are above that age – and the highest rate of caesarean section births, a study in the Lancet says.
Just over 32% of Australian women have a caesarean section, it says.
The report noted that while hospitals were well set up to cater for high-risk women, they were not always ideal for low-risk mothers-to-be who were subjected to more interventions, such as caesarean sections and inductions of labour, than was necessary for most.
As a result, maternity care costs can escalate and some mothers and newborns can face complications.
“Cost increases over time are largely attributed to use of interventions,” the report said.
The study showed Australia was one of the most expensive countries in the world for women to give birth, ranking behind only the US.
The cost of a caesarean section is estimated at A$ 14,000 in Australia, compared with more than A$ 20,000 in the US, figures compiled by the Lancet show.
A vaginal birth in Australia costs A$ 9,000, while in the US it is almost A$ 14,000.
The report said that while high-income countries including Australia had taken many steps to reduce maternal and neonatal mortality rates, the cost of maternity care could be high and medical liability costs “enormous”.
“Although mortality is generally low, the picture is far from perfect,” the Lancet’s latest Maternal Health series, released on Friday, said.
“In some settings, fear prevails among subsets of women and providers, driving increased and inappropriate intervention.”
Most women in high-income countries deliver their babies in hospital, regardless of whether they have low or high-risk pregnancies, the report said.
Two per cent of Australian mothers have their babies in a birth centre, and less than 1% give birth at home.
The study also highlighted that pregnant Canadian and Australian Indigenous women had high rates of gestational diabetes and pre-existing diabetes, and that Torres Strait Islander women had an incidence of diabetes of three to six times the national average.
Women above 35 who give birth account for 40% of maternal deaths in Australia
Hiç yorum yok:
Yorum Gönder