Biomaterial Database

Comparison of births to Aboriginal and Caucasian mothers in Western Australia. 1981

J F Seward, and F J Stanley

Live births and stillbirths to Aboriginal and Caucasian mothers in the period from 1975 to 1978 were studied, using the Western Australian Midwives Notification of Birth forms, Perinatal Death Certificates and Hospital Morbidity data. Aboriginal mothers were younger, shorter, had higher fertility, and were more likely to be grand multiparae than Caucasian mothers. Aboriginal infants were lighter and shorter than Caucasian infants. The adverse birthweight distribution of Aboriginal infants (13% weighed less than or equal to 2500 grams) accounted for the major part of the excess in the Aboriginal perinatal mortality rate, which was double that for Caucasians. The Aboriginal stillbirth rate appeared to be falling, while neonatal mortality remained high. Health services' preventive programmes, aimed at correction of the adverse birthweight distribution in the Aboriginal population, would be a major step towards the reduction of perinatal mortality in this group.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007226	Infant Mortality	Postnatal deaths from BIRTH to 365 days after birth in a given population. Postneonatal mortality represents deaths between 28 days and 365 days after birth (as defined by National Center for Health Statistics). Neonatal mortality represents deaths from birth to 27 days after birth.	Neonatal Mortality,Mortality, Infant,Postneonatal Mortality,Infant Mortalities,Mortalities, Infant,Mortalities, Neonatal,Mortalities, Postneonatal,Mortality, Neonatal,Mortality, Postneonatal,Neonatal Mortalities,Postneonatal Mortalities
D007230	Infant, Low Birth Weight	An infant having a birth weight of 2500 gm. (5.5 lb.) or less but INFANT, VERY LOW BIRTH WEIGHT is available for infants having a birth weight of 1500 grams (3.3 lb.) or less.	Low Birth Weight,Low-Birth-Weight Infant,Birth Weight, Low,Birth Weights, Low,Infant, Low-Birth-Weight,Infants, Low-Birth-Weight,Low Birth Weight Infant,Low Birth Weights,Low-Birth-Weight Infants
D007231	Infant, Newborn	An infant during the first 28 days after birth.	Neonate,Newborns,Infants, Newborn,Neonates,Newborn,Newborn Infant,Newborn Infants
D008297	Male		Males
D008423	Maternal Age	The age of the mother in PREGNANCY.	Age, Maternal,Ages, Maternal,Maternal Ages
D010298	Parity	The number of offspring a female has borne. It is contrasted with GRAVIDITY, which refers to the number of pregnancies, regardless of outcome.	Multiparity,Nulliparity,Primiparity,Parity Progression Ratio,Parity Progression Ratios,Ratio, Parity Progression,Ratios, Parity Progression
D011247	Pregnancy	The status during which female mammals carry their developing young (EMBRYOS or FETUSES) in utero before birth, beginning from FERTILIZATION to BIRTH.	Gestation,Pregnancies
D001723	Birth Rate	The number of births in a given population per year or other unit of time.	Natality,Age-Specific Birth Rate,Age-Specific Fertility Rate,Fertility Rate,Age Specific Birth Rate,Age Specific Fertility Rate,Age-Specific Birth Rates,Age-Specific Fertility Rates,Birth Rate, Age-Specific,Birth Rates,Fertility Rate, Age-Specific,Fertility Rates,Natalities,Rate, Age-Specific Fertility,Rate, Birth,Rate, Fertility
D001827	Body Height	The distance from the sole to the crown of the head with body standing on a flat surface and fully extended.	Body Heights,Height, Body,Heights, Body
D002657	Child Development	The continuous sequential physiological and psychological maturing of an individual from birth up to but not including ADOLESCENCE.	Infant Development,Development, Child,Development, Infant