Multimillion-dollar investment into making it easier to access scans

An inquiry into a spike in baby deaths in Queensland has exposed a worrying trend that the Health Minister says must change.

Queensland women are skipping vital antenatal scans at alarming rates, an inquiry into a spike in perinatal deaths has discovered

The findings of the review by the Queensland Maternal and Perinatal Quality Council released Friday has sparked the Queensland government to intervene with a multimillion-dollar plan to make access to scans easier, as well as an extensive education program on how early scans can save lives.

Health Minister Shannon Fentiman called for the review to find out why baby deaths rose from 10.8 per 1000 births in 2021 to 12.3 per 1000 births in 2022.

The council found that a high number of women are not accessing the recommended antenatal scans at 12 to 14 weeks and at 20 to 22 weeks gestation.

Early scans can detect abnormalities, the size of the baby and due dates.

A state government plan will make access to scans easier, and provide education on the benefits of getting them done early in pregnancy. Picture: iStock

The review was a retrospective audit into 158 cases deaths — stillbirths less than 28 weeks gestation and neonatal deaths at less than 22 weeks.

The council found that stillbirth risk and screening risks have contributed to deaths.

The government will invest $3m into improving access to the scans while another $3m will be invested into maternal foetal medicine services across Queensland for high-risk pregnancies including the provision of specialist ultrasound services.

Changes will also be made to allow more ways for pregnant women to self-refer to a public hospital early in the pregnancy so they can access the appropriate scans at the clinically recommended time, rather than needing a referral from an external health provider.

The review also confirmed known maternal risk factors for stillbirth and neonatal death such as elevated body mass index in pregnancy, age 20 or younger during pregnancy, lower socio-economic status and First Nations background.

Health Minister Shannon Fentiman ordered the review into perinatal deaths in Queensland. Picture: NewsWire / Glenn Campbell

Ms Fentiman has expressed her condolences to the mothers and families who have experienced a perinatal death.

“We ordered this review to better understand why these deaths occur and how we can better support pregnant women to identify the risk factors.,” she said.

“While the review found there were no interventions which would have changed the outcome in these instances, it did find that a high number of women were not accessing the recommended antenatal ultrasounds.

“I’d like to thank all our clinicians and healthcare workers for their compassionate service to parents experiencing perinatal loss. The review found that the care delivered aligned with best practice and I have no doubt about it,” she said.

Co-Chair of the Queensland Maternal and Perinatal Quality Council and Senior Medical Officer in Obstetrics and Gynaecology Professor Edward Weaver said she welcomed Queensland Health’s positive response to the report recommendations.

“Early access to antenatal care is critical to having the best possible outcomes for mothers and babies,” Mr Weaver said.

“Raising awareness of the importance of early antenatal care, strong referral pathways for people with high-risk pregnancies, and strengthening maternal fetal medicine services in Queensland are key steps toward improving maternal health outcomes.

“The QMPQC is committed to improving the pregnancy outcomes for First Nations women and women living in remote and rural areas. Improving access to scans and other comprehensive care measures will help this.”