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Maternal and Infant Health

Ensuring that women are as healthy as possible during their pregnancy is important to guarantee the best possible start in life for their child. This webpage outlines some of the major activities which are being undertaken by the Australian Government towards improving maternal and infant health.

Smoking in pregnancy

Smoking while pregnant harms both mothers and babies. When a pregnant woman smokes carbon monoxide and nicotine passes into her unborn baby’s bloodstream through the placenta - just as if the baby was smoking too. This means the baby gets less oxygen and may not develop as well as it should. Nicotine also increases a baby’s heart rate and breathing movements.

The Australian Government is committed to reducing the number of women smoking during pregnancy, and the associated adverse health affects for both mother and child, by providing new funding of $4.3 million over three years (2004-05 to 2007-08) to encourage doctors, midwives and Indigenous health workers to advise pregnant women about the damage caused by smoking.

Further Information

Drinking alcohol during pregnancy

The Australian Alcohol Guidelines recommend that women may consider not drinking at all while pregnant. Alcohol in the blood stream of a pregnant woman enters that of her unborn child, and, in sufficient quantities, this can cause problems for the unborn child.

Heavy drinking episodes and occasional intoxication may increase the risk of miscarriage, low birth weight, cognitive defects (affecting one or more abilities such as attention, intelligence, language, and memory) and congenital abnormalities. These effects are often known as Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders, or Foetal Alcohol Syndrome.

Further Information:

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Folate

Women who are pregnant, or who are hoping to become pregnant should increase the amount of folic acid in their diet to help reduce the incidence of neural tube defects such as spina bifida in newborn babies. Folic acid is found in foods such as leafy green vegetables, fruit (citrus, berries and bananas), legumes and some cereals (more than 20 breakfast cereals now have added folate).

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Nutrition and Healthy Eating


It is especially important for women during pregnancy and while breastfeeding to eat a nutritious diet, for the health of both themselves and their child.

Further information:

Diabetes

Diabetes is a National Health Priority Area. Diabetes mellitus is a condition where the body cannot maintain normal blood glucose levels. It is caused by resistance to, or deficient production of the hormone insulin, which helps glucose move from the blood into the cells. When the body does not produce or use enough insulin, the cells cannot use glucose and the blood glucose level rises.

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is a type of diabetes that occurs during pregnancy. About 4-6% of Australian women not previously known to have diabetes develop GDM during pregnancy.
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Further Information:

Breastfeeding

Breastfeeding is one of the most important contributors to infant health. It provides a range of benefits for an infant's growth, immunity and development. Exclusive breastfeeding to around six months of age gives the best nutritional start to infants and is recommended by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC), the World Health Organization (WHO) and other health authorities. In addition, breastfeeding benefits maternal health and contributes economic benefits to the family, health care system and workplace.

The Australian Government funds the Australian Breastfeeding Association to support and encourage breastfeeding for mothers, counsellors and health professionals ($300,000 over three years from 2005/06).

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Rural maternal and child health

The Australian Government is investing $1.69 million over three years (2004-2007) to improve the health and wellbeing of mothers and young children in rural and remote areas. The projects aim to develop and trial locally appropriate, family friendly, evidence based sustainable models of service delivery which include a strong health promotion and prevention focus.

Related Links:

Healthy for Life

The Healthy for Life program aims to improve the health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander mothers, infants and children, and those affected by chronic diseases, through specific activities in maternal and child health and chronic disease in over 80 sites across Australia.
    Commencing in 2005-06, the program will provide $102.4 million over four years, as new funding, to develop a whole-of-life approach to break the cycle of poor health from childhood to adulthood. It will enhance the capacity of existing primary health care services in maternal and child health and chronic disease prevention and management.
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    Parenting Information Project

    The Australian Government has committed $4 million towards development of a Parenting Information website, as part of the Parenting Information Project.

    Further information:

    Postnatal depression

    In the 2005-2006 Budget the Australian Government committed an additional $39.6 million to June 2009 to beyondblue to enable the organisation to continue its important work in changing community attitudes, supporting early intervention, encouraging research and improving services for people with depression. The additional funding will also assist beyondblue to continue its National Postnatal Depression Program which is a world first in establishing a large database evaluating the mental health of women during pregnancy and early parenthood and provides resources for women at risk of postnatal depression.

    Research and Information

    Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) research.
    Through the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC), the Australian Government is funding further research into the causes of SIDS. Over $630,000 has been allocated for this in 2006.

    Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW)
    The AIHW is funded to provide comprehensive information on health and wellbeing
    Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS)
    The ABS provides comprehensive statistics on a range of topics.

    Australian Institute of Family Studies (AIFS)
    The AIFS is Australia's national centre for research and information on families. The Institute conducts research on issues that affect family stability and wellbeing and plays a key role in the development of family policy.
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    Useful Department of Health and Ageing links:

    Links to State and Territory Government Health Departments

    Links to Non-Government Organisations in Maternal and Infant Health


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