Women giving birth in SA getting bigger and older, report shows
New data on South Australian women giving birth shows a majority are now listed as having “an unhealthy weight”, with fewer teenage mums and more aged 35 and over than in the past.
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South Australia’s new mothers are the largest in history with those listed as severely or morbidly obese jumping more than 40 per cent in less than a decade.
SA Health data shows a rising trend in women giving birth getting larger as well as older.
The figures from 2014 to the latest data just published for 2020 show the number of new mothers regarded as overweight has rocketed from 44 per cent to 57 per cent.
Of this, those regarded as obese has jumped from 12.1 per cent to 14.6 per cent, while those listed as severely or morbidly obese has gone from 8.5 per cent to 12 per cent.
The SA Health data for the 18,461 women who gave birth in 2020 also shows mothers listed as underweight dropped from 2.7 per cent to 2.3 per cent in the same period.
The weight data is based on the 16,929 women giving birth where their body mass was able to be calculated.
Wellbeing SA Executive Director of Prevention and Population Health Directorate, Professor Katina D’Onise said all pregnant women and those who are thinking about getting pregnant, should contact their health care provider to discuss how best to prepare for pregnancy.
“This includes supporting your own health and the health of your baby with good nutrition, stopping smoking and alcohol intake, as well as considering the need for vaccinations,” she said.
“Folate and iodine supplements, as well as ensuring adequate intake of omega 3 and iron, are often recommended during pregnancy and should be considered in discussions with your pregnancy health care provider.
“Women above the normal weight range are more likely to experience some pregnancy complications and are at a higher risk of developing gestational diabetes. This includes high blood pressure and preeclampsia. It can also lead to problems for their baby including a higher risk of premature birth.
“We recommend pregnant women attend all antenatal appointments so their health and the health of their baby can be regularly monitored, with early intervention introduced if health issues are detected.”
The figures from the Pregnancy Outcome Unit also show teenage mothers made up just 1.8 per cent of women giving birth, down from 3.1 per cent in 2014.
Those aged 35 and over accounted for 23.9 per cent, up from 20.6 per cent in 2014 – and a significant rise from just 4.6 per cent back in 1981.
In 2020 there were 550 multiple births comprising 538 twins and 12 triplets. The 18,738 children born in 2020 was 435 less than in 2019.
The data also shows 51.5 per cent of women had normal spontaneous vaginal births, 5.9 per cent were delivered by forceps and 5.5 per cent by ventouse (vacuum cup).
The proportion of women giving birth by caesarean section was 36.8 per cent and the main reasons given were previous caesarean section, failure to progress in labour and foetal distress.
US actor Hilary Swank is among the growing numbers of older women giving birth, having twins this month at age 48.
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