Summary

This report is an online presentation of the 12 National Core Maternity Indicators currently reported. The indicators provide the most recent data available and assist in the assessment, monitoring and evaluation of patient care.

Antenatal period indicators

Antenatal care in the first trimester

Around 4 in 5 women (79%) giving birth in 2022 received antenatal care in their first trimester

More on antenatal care

Antenatal care before 10 weeks

Around 3 in 5 (60%) women giving birth in 2022 attended antenatal care within the first 10 weeks of pregnancy

More on antenatal care

Smoking in the first 20 weeks

Around 1 in 12 (8.3%) women giving birth in 2022 smoked during the first 20 weeks of pregnancy

More on smoking

Smoking after the first 20 weeks

Over two thirds (71%) of women giving birth in 2022 who reported smoking continued to smoke after 20 weeks of pregnancy

More on smoking

Labour and birth indicators – selected women

Selected women include those giving birth who were 20 to 34 years of age at the time of giving birth, gave birth at term (37–40 weeks gestation), and had a singleton baby who presented in the head down (vertex) position. Comparison of ‘selected’ groups of women allows for an indication of standard practice. Selected women, for these indicators, refers to a cohort of mothers who are expected to have reduced labour complications and better birth outcomes.

Non-instrumental vaginal birth

In 2022, around 2 in 5 (42%) selected women giving birth for the first time had a non-instrumental vaginal birth

More on non-instrumental births

Instrumental vaginal birth

In 2022, around 1 in 4 (23%) selected women giving birth for the first time had an instrumental vaginal birth

More on instrumental births

Induction of labour

In 2022, 43% of selected women giving birth for the first time had an induced labour

More on inductions

Caesarean section

In 2022, around one third (35%) of selected women giving birth for the first time had a caesarean section

More on caesarean sections

Labour and birth indicators – all women

Episiotomy births (non-instrumental)

In 2022, nearly one quarter of women (22%) having their first baby vaginally without the use of instruments had an episiotomy

More on episiotomies

Episiotomy births (instrumental)

In 2022, around 4 in 5 women (81%) having their first baby vaginally with the use of instruments had an episiotomy

More on episiotomies

General anaesthetic for caesarean section births

In 2022, around 1 in 20 (5.0%) women who had a caesarean section birth had general anaesthetic

More on general anaesthetic

Vaginal birth after caesarean

In 2022, around 1 in 8 women (12%) had their second birth vaginally after having their first birth by caesarean section

More on VBAC

Birth outcome indicators

Apgar score

In 2022, 1.4% of liveborn babies born at or after term had an Apgar score of less than 7 at 5 minutes

More on Apgar scores

Babies with severe fetal growth restriction

In 2022, 2.0% of babies born at or after term had severe fetal growth restriction

More on severe FGR

Third and fourth degree tears for first-time mothers

In 2022, 4.3% of women having their first birth vaginally had a third or fourth degree tear

More on tears

Third and fourth degree tears for all women

In 2022, 2.7% of women having a vaginal birth had a third or fourth degree tear

More on tears

The trend data presented in this report include years for which the COVID-19 pandemic was considered a public health emergency (2020–2022). The pandemic resulted in changes to the experience of pregnancy and childbirth for many women and their families, though due to the complex nature of the pandemic, its impacts on maternal and perinatal outcomes are still unclear. For more information, see Maternal and perinatal outcomes during the 2020 and 2021 COVID-19 pandemic.

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