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Overview

Between 2018 and 2022, the rate of normal vaginal birth among Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander mothers who gave birth in NSW fell from 60.9% to 56.9%. The caesarean section rate rose from 31.7% to 35.5%. The rate of instrumental delivery was stable at about 7.1%, as was the rate of vaginal breech births (0.4%). Similar trends of a decrease in normal vaginal births (53.3% to 50.0%), an increase in caesarean section (34.6% to 38.4%) and stable rates for instrumental delivery (about 11.2%) and vaginal breech births (about 0.3%) were seen in non-Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander mothers who gave birth in NSW from 2018 to 2022 respectively.​

Type of birth, Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal mothers, NSW 2018–2022

By number of births

Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander​ mothers

Type of birth20182019202020212022
Normal vaginal25652690269329662804
Forceps104129112135150
Vacuum extraction190166185205201
Vaginal breech1916192120
Elective caesarean section83085189610601112
Emergency caesarean section1504
564601636639
Not stated10000
Total42134416450650234926

Non-Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander​ mothers

Type of birth20182019202020212022
Normal vaginal4776546868438054624042246
Forceps42684067404640633616
Vacuum extraction63316394620366055857
Vaginal breech314311302299268
Elective caesarean section2004220297200852223321078
Emergency caesarean section11095011020115101240111391
Not stated10011
Total8967188957859519184284457

By percentage of births

Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander​ mothers

Type of birth20182019202020212022
Normal vaginal60.960.959.859.056.9
Forceps
2.52.92.52.73.0
Vacuum extraction4.53.84.14.14.1
Vaginal breech0.50.40.40.40.4
Elective caesarean section19.719.319.921.122.6
Emergency caesarean section112.0
12.813.312.713.0
Not stated0.00.00.00.00.0
Total100.0100.0100.0100.0100.0

Non-Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander​ mothers

Type of birth20182019202020212022
Normal vaginal53.352.751.050.350.0
Forceps
4.84.64.74.44.3
Vacuum extraction7.17.27.27.26.9
Vaginal breech0.40.30.40.30.3
Elective caesarean section
22.422.823.424.225.0
Emergency caesarean section112.212.413.413.513.5
Not stated0.00.00.00.00.0
Total100.0100.0100.0100.0100.0

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Type of birth, Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal mothers, NSW 2018–2022

Notes

Source: NSW Perinatal Data Collection (SAPHaRI). Centre for Epidemiology and Evidence, NSW Ministry of Health.

Due to under-reporting of Aboriginal mothers to the Perinatal Data Collection, it is likely that the true numbers of mothers and babies are higher than shown. For more information refer to Estimated level of reporting. Table excludes 3,629 mothers where the mother’s Aboriginality was not stated.

  1. Emergency caesarean section includes caesarean section where the onset of labour was not stated.

Current as at: Wednesday 31 July 2024