Perinatal and Maternal Mortality Review Committee (PMMRC) Annual Report
Frequently Asked Questions, Embargoed to 8am, 17 June 2014
What is New Zealand’s perinatal death rate?
In 2012, there were 669 deaths of babies aged from 20 weeks gestation to less than 28 days
old (or weighing at least 400g if gestation was unknown). This is a rate of 10.7 deaths per
1000 births, using the New Zealand definition for these deaths. This rate is unchanged
across the years 2007 to 2012.
What is the main cause of perinatal death in New Zealand?
The main cause of perinatal death in New Zealand is congenital abnormality, which accounts
for 30 percent of deaths. The second most common cause of death is spontaneous preterm
birth which accounts for 15 percent of all perinatal deaths.
How does New Zealand’s perinatal death rate compare internationally?
New Zealand’s perinatal mortality rates in 2012 are comparable to 2012 rates in the United
Kingdom and 2011 rates in Australia.
How many deaths were avoidable?
Nineteen percent of perinatal deaths for 2012 were identified by local review as potentially
avoidable. Factors commonly contributing to these deaths included caregivers not following
recommended best practice, infrequent antenatal care and lack of recognition by patients
and their families of the complexity or seriousness of their condition.
Are there any groups more at risk of losing a baby?
Maori, Pacific and Indian mothers were significantly more likely to lose a baby than New
Zealand European mothers.
How many babies had neonatal encephalopathy?
In the three years 2010 to 2012, 227 babies were reported as having neonatal
encephalopathy, a syndrome usually resulting from lack of oxygen to the brain around the
time of birth.
Seventy-eight percent of babies with moderate and severe neonatal encephalopathy
received induced cooling therapy, as recommended, to reduce injury related to lack of
oxygen.
The incidence of neonatal encephalopathy is significantly higher among babies of Pacific
mothers than among babies of New Zealand European mothers. The incidence of neonatal
encephalopathy increases with increasing socioeconomic deprivation.
What was the maternal death rate?
In 2012, there were 10 maternal deaths, 2 direct deaths from obstetric complications and 8
due to pre-existing disease that was aggravated by the pregnancy. . A maternal death is the
death of a woman while pregnant or within 42 days of termination of pregnancy. The rate
was 16.0/100,000 maternities. There has been no statistically significant change in the
maternal death rate since PMMRC began analysing maternal mortality data in 2006.
Were any of the maternal deaths preventable?
Between 2006 and 2012, 34 percent of maternal deaths were identified as potentially
avoidable. In 60 percent of maternal deaths during this timeframe, there were contributing
factors relating to organisation and management (lack of policies, protocols or guidelines,
inadequate systems/process for sharing of clinical information between services), personnel
(lack of recognition of complexity or seriousness of condition by caregiver, knowledge and
skills of staff were lacking), and barriers to access and/or engagement with care (lack of
recognition of complexity or seriousness of condition, no or infrequent antenatal care.)