Babies Born Resources
No life support provided for baby
Queensland’s clinical practice guidelines specifically state: “Do not provide life sustaining treatment”. It says: “Handle baby gently and carefully and wrap to provide warmth”, however there is no mention of performing a pain assessment or assessment of distress for the baby, or providing any medical treatment accordingly.
Born alive and left cold to die
Babies recorded are only those over 20 weeks or over 400 grams: “In Australia, registered deaths are those born at 20 weeks' gestation or more, and/or weighing 400 grams or more.” So a fetus born alive at 19 weeks, weighing 300 grams will not be recognised as a human born alive, but a fetus born alive at 19 weeks weighing 400 grams would be recognised as a human born alive.
No mandate for pain
“If a live birth occurs: Support the woman’s wishes and preferences, Handle baby gently and carefully and wrap to provide warmth, Offer opportunities to engage in care provision (e.g. cuddling/holding) as desired, Do not provide life sustaining treatment (e.g. gastric tubes, IV lines, oxygen therapy), Provide sensitive emotional support and reassurance to parents throughout the process and afterwards, Document date and time end of life occurs.”
37 week termination
37 weeks gestation baby terminated for psychosocial reasons in Victoria in 2011: Table 6:20b, page 141,, Consultative Council on Obstetric and Paediatric Mortality and Morbidity 2010 and 2011, Victoria’s Mothers and Babies, Victoria’s Maternal, Perinatal, Child and Adolescent Mortality, State Government of Victoria, Melbourne
Definition of Psychosocial Reasons
“In medicine, having to do with the mental, emotional, social, and spiritual effects of a disease, such as cancer. Some of the psychosocial effects of cancer are changes in how a patient thinks, their feelings, moods, beliefs, ways of coping, and relationships with family, friends, and co-workers.” ‘Psychosocial’, NCI Dictionaries, U.S Department of Health and Human Service, National Institutes of Health, National Cancer Institute, USA, gov.
Babies Born Alive and left die across states
Data included is verifiable. However data from: The Northern Territory could not be included because the reports do not clearly differentiate stillbirths from neonatal deaths. The Australian Capital Territory (ACT) could not be counted because there is no clarification of live births resulting from termination of pregnancy or other medical scenarios such as spontaneous premature labor etc. New South Wales, Tasmania, and South Australia reports are not publicly released - or they are not easy to access/locate.
