Research

13th Annual PMMRC Report Released


The PMMRC's (Perinatal & Maternal Mortality Review Committee) thirteenth annual report was released in September 2019. It presents data on perinatal and maternal deaths for 2017. There were 593 perinatal-related deaths in 2017 which is slightly lower as compared with 612 deaths in 2016. The Perinatal Mortality rate for 2017 is 9.8/1000 live births, which is equivalent to 1 baby dying in pregnancy after 20 weeks or during the first month of life for every 100 babies born. There were nine maternal deaths in 2017.

Key points on perinatal mortality from the report include:
  • Since 2007, when the PMMRC began collecting data, there has not been a significant reduction in deaths overall. However, there was a decrease in the rate of stillbirths. This was largely driven by a reduction in stillbirths in babies of M?ori and New Zealand European women; there was no significant change in any other ethnic group.
  • There was a significant decrease in perinatal mortalities (fetal and early neonatal deaths) seen in babies of New Zealand European mothers, but not for any other ethnic group.
  • There were no statistically significant changes in rates for neonatal mortality overall; however, there was a significant increase in deaths in babies of Pacific women.
  • Deaths due to congenital abnormalities remain the leading cause of death overall.
  • Results show that there are groups at higher risk of serious adverse outcomes; these include babies of M?ori, Pacific and Indian mothers, and babies of mothers aged less than 20 years, with some increase in mortality for those aged 40 years and over.
  • There is a significantly increased rate of stillbirth and neonatal death among mothers who live in the most deprived areas.

To view the report, click on this link:

https://www.hqsc.govt.nz/our-programmes/mrc/pmmrc/publications-and-resources/publication/3823/

 

 

Sands New Zealand welcomes survey of bereaved mothers


Data on the experiences of bereaved mothers in our NZ maternity system and the care they received has been reported by the Ministry of Health for the first time.

'The survey results indicate what bereaved parents have been telling us for years' says Leonie Kirwan, national Chairperson of Sands New Zealand. 'While most families receive good care when their baby dies there is still much room for improvement. We want to see 100% of bereaved mothers feeling satisfied as opposed to the 67% in the survey. And we're concerned for the 14% who felt dissatisfied with their care'.
Read More >>
 

Research on stillbirth, newborn death and perinatal loss


One of Sands New Zealand's goals is to promote research into the causes and consequences of stillbirth, newborn death or other reproductive loss.

Through this page we want to let you know about research that is being undertaken both in New Zealand and internationally.

 
 

About Our Multicentre Stillbirth Study


The death of an unborn child is a devastating event which affects approximately 500 New Zealand families every year; a rate of 8 per 1000 births.

Furthermore approximately 1 in 300 mothers have a stillborn baby after 28 weeks gestation (late stillbirth) which is particularly tragic as these babies have a high chance of intact survival if live-born.  Although there was a decline in the rate of stillbirth up to the 1980s and early 1990s, the rate of stillbirth in New Zealand (and in other high income countries) has been static over the last two decades.

The recently completed Auckland Stillbirth Study, gave us some insights into potentially modifiable factors associated with late stillbirth such as maternal obesity, high parity, reduced antenatal care attendance, maternal sleep practices and maternal perception of reduced fetal movements.

A larger study, our Multicentre Stillbirth Study, was required to confirm or refute these findings. Recruitment started in Auckland and Hamilton in February 2012.  We are pleased that further funding has just been confirmed to extend the study to Wellington, Palmerston and Christchurch.

The aim of the Multicentre Stillbirth Study is to identify modifiable risk factors for late stillbirth in New Zealand
 

Multicentre Stillbirth Study Design


Cases: Women with singleton pregnancies and late stillbirth 

Controls: For each stillbirth, two randomly selected controls with on-going pregnancies will be chosen from the DHB booking lists to act as a comparison. To avoid concerning these women unnecessarily about stillbirth, the study is described positively – explaining that it is research about fetal wellbeing to see why some babies do well in the pregnancy (like the babies of the women selected as controls) and why some don’t.

·         Recruitment:  As soon as possible following the diagnosis of the stillbirth and at the equivalent gestation in the controls.
·         There are two main parts to the study: An in-depth interview with the mother performed within a few weeks of the stillbirth and a review of her clinical records. The interview lasts around one hour and is usually in the woman’s home. The woman will be asked general questions about her health and lifestyle during her pregnancy.



Caring for Families Experiencing Stillbirth:
a Unified Position Statement on Contact with the Baby


Sands NZ was involved in this collaborative piece of work with 16 other organisations from around the world. This is a statement about the care of bereaved parents written by bereaved parents. We hope it will be read and embraced by all health and caring professionals.

We see this statement as an extension of the Sands NZ 'Three-point Model of Care' in which we recommend bereaved parents are the ones who should parent their baby, rather than others doing it for them.<

While the statement was written with stillbirth in mind, it can be applied to all experiences of perinatal and infant loss. We welcome you to copy this statement and disseminate it to whomever and wherever you think it may help.

A copy of this statement can be downloaded from here: Position Statement (0.34MB)

Research