❓ Dr. Jacobs asks about improvements in WA's child mortality rates compared to other states. The Minister for Health responds, highlighting significant decreases in both overall and Aboriginal infant mortality rates, attributing the latter to safe sleeping programs and enhanced child health initiatives.
AnsweredQoN 492Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
CHILD MORTALITY RATES
492. Dr G.G. JACOBS to the Minister for
Health:
Mr Speaker, before I ask —
Mr
M. McGowan interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Leader of the Opposition, the question is finished.
Mr
D.J. Kelly interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Member for Bassendean, I call you to order for the first time.
Dr
G.G. JACOBS : Before I ask my question, I acknowledge in the public gallery
today the staff and student leaders from Dawson Park Primary School in the
member for Forrestfield's electorate.
Can the minister outline whether
Western Australia has made any improvements in the area of child mortality
rates; and how do we compare with other states?
492. Dr G.G. JACOBS to the Minister for
Health:
Mr Speaker, before I ask —
Mr
M. McGowan interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Leader of the Opposition, the question is finished.
Mr
D.J. Kelly interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Member for Bassendean, I call you to order for the first time.
Dr
G.G. JACOBS : Before I ask my question, I acknowledge in the public gallery
today the staff and student leaders from Dawson Park Primary School in the
member for Forrestfield's electorate.
Can the minister outline whether
Western Australia has made any improvements in the area of child mortality
rates; and how do we compare with other states?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for the question.
I also acknowledge the students and teacher from South Mandurah Primary School
in my electorate—all double the weight they were when they arrived
here, judging from the amount of food that they ate.
This question is about perinatal
mortality and infant deaths that occur in the first year of life, and comparing
us with the rest of Australia. Once again, Western Australia is doing
exceptionally well and continuing to improve. The infant mortality rate that
members might have seen in the budget papers was 4.1 per 1 000 live births in
2003, and in 2013, which is the latest full year recorded, it has gone from 4.1
to just 2.4—so a significant decrease. That is the lowest rate of all
the jurisdictions. Even with our very low figure, the national average is still
3.6; it is obviously pulled down by our low figure of 2.4. We are well in front
of the national average.
Even more encouraging is what has
been happening with Aboriginal children in this state. The rate of infant
mortality for Aboriginal children was 10.2 per 1 000 in the period 2005–07,
and now, just six years later, it has halved—so down to 5.1. It has
gone from 10.2 for 2005–07 to 5.1. A lot of that has to do with what
was a very large number of deaths in Aboriginal communities from sudden infant
death syndrome, or cot syndrome. Sudden infant death syndrome is obviously
where children in the early stages of life are sometimes just found to have
passed away. A whole range of things contribute to that, and no-one actually
knows the full cause, but things like over-swaddling the baby, and the way baby
is put to lie down. Babies used to be wrapped up tight and put on their face.
That is no longer the case. It happens also particularly when parents sleep
with their child. That is one of the biggest causes of infant deaths,
particularly in Aboriginal communities. So a program was started called ''safe
sleeping'', particularly among Aboriginal communities, to discourage
Aboriginal mums from sleeping with their baby, and that has resulted in a huge
improvement in the number of babies dying.
Second to that is an enhanced
Aboriginal child health schedule, increased funding by this state government
into child health, and adopting programs, particularly the one in the Northern
Territory, with a really strong focus on the early years from Aboriginal
children's birth, which has contributed to that huge reduction. It is
great to see that improvement. There is still some work to be done in
Aboriginal communities, but it is a massive improvement on what we have seen in
the past—and of course once again Western Australia leads the other
states.
I also acknowledge the students and teacher from South Mandurah Primary School
in my electorate—all double the weight they were when they arrived
here, judging from the amount of food that they ate.
This question is about perinatal
mortality and infant deaths that occur in the first year of life, and comparing
us with the rest of Australia. Once again, Western Australia is doing
exceptionally well and continuing to improve. The infant mortality rate that
members might have seen in the budget papers was 4.1 per 1 000 live births in
2003, and in 2013, which is the latest full year recorded, it has gone from 4.1
to just 2.4—so a significant decrease. That is the lowest rate of all
the jurisdictions. Even with our very low figure, the national average is still
3.6; it is obviously pulled down by our low figure of 2.4. We are well in front
of the national average.
Even more encouraging is what has
been happening with Aboriginal children in this state. The rate of infant
mortality for Aboriginal children was 10.2 per 1 000 in the period 2005–07,
and now, just six years later, it has halved—so down to 5.1. It has
gone from 10.2 for 2005–07 to 5.1. A lot of that has to do with what
was a very large number of deaths in Aboriginal communities from sudden infant
death syndrome, or cot syndrome. Sudden infant death syndrome is obviously
where children in the early stages of life are sometimes just found to have
passed away. A whole range of things contribute to that, and no-one actually
knows the full cause, but things like over-swaddling the baby, and the way baby
is put to lie down. Babies used to be wrapped up tight and put on their face.
That is no longer the case. It happens also particularly when parents sleep
with their child. That is one of the biggest causes of infant deaths,
particularly in Aboriginal communities. So a program was started called ''safe
sleeping'', particularly among Aboriginal communities, to discourage
Aboriginal mums from sleeping with their baby, and that has resulted in a huge
improvement in the number of babies dying.
Second to that is an enhanced
Aboriginal child health schedule, increased funding by this state government
into child health, and adopting programs, particularly the one in the Northern
Territory, with a really strong focus on the early years from Aboriginal
children's birth, which has contributed to that huge reduction. It is
great to see that improvement. There is still some work to be done in
Aboriginal communities, but it is a massive improvement on what we have seen in
the past—and of course once again Western Australia leads the other
states.
Explore WA Government Data
Search the full archive in the free dashboard, or query programmatically via API.
Explore more
Government Gazette
Appointments, regulatory notices, planning changes.
Hansard
Debates, questions, speeches and sentiment.
Tabled Papers
Reports and documents tabled in Parliament.
Committees
Committee profiles and recent reports.
Regulations
Subsidiary legislation with filters and summaries.
Bills
Proposed laws and parliamentary progress.
Acts
Current WA legislation and summaries.
Explanatory Memoranda
Bills with EMs (text/PDF) available.
Members
MP profiles, party breakdown and rankings.
Pollie Rankings
Data-driven rankings across 19 categories.
Amendment Chains
Track how schemes and regulations evolve over time.