NSW Roadside births rising

Across rural NSW, including Western NSW, we're facing an alarming and escalating crisis: the dramatic rise in "born before arrival" (BBA) births. This is a direct consequence of the ongoing closure of maternity services in our communities.

Data from the 2022 Mothers’ and Babies’ report is deeply concerning:

• Western NSW's BBA rate is now 1.2%, three times the rate of 0.4% in 2001.

• The rate in Northern NSW is now 1.7%, more than double the rate of 0.7% in 2001.

• Central Sydney has a rate of 0.4%, virtually unchanged from 0.3% in 2001.

• The overall NSW rate has increased to 0.7% from 0.4% in 2001.

This issue is not new, but it's worsening. Over 130 (50%) of rural/regional maternity services in Australia closed between 1995 and 2005, and closures have continued since, including recent ones in Muswellbrook, Parkes, and Milton-Ulladulla.

The human cost of this crisis:

• Families are being forced to travel long distances for maternity care, incurring significant financial burdens and emotional strain from being separated from loved ones at a critical time.

• The closure of maternity services also triggers a domino effect, leading to the departure of other health professionals and the loss of additional vital services in our communities.

• More preterm births, higher mortality rates.

• Trauma of having a baby roadside.\

Despite local access being prioritised in many State and Federal maternity policies, we have seen ongoing closures and no commitment or plan to reopen maternity services. 

Smaller rural and regional units are well placed to offer Midwifery group practice, or having a known midwife, this model has exceptional outcomes for women and their babies.

According to the AIHW Models of maternity care report, NSW has less than 11% of their models MGP. (This is one of the worst performing states, along with WA and Victoria, and is less than half of what QLD has set up). This was also Recommendation 10 from the birth trauma inquiry: "That the NSW Government invest in and expand midwifery continuity of care models, including Midwifery Group Practice and all risk models, by increasing the number of services providing midwifery continuity of care, especially in regional, rural and remote New South Wales, and expanding places in existing services." Time for action to ensure rural and regional women have local birthing options.