Hundreds of mums suffer roadside births in Queensland each year

Queensland is a national leader in roadside births, with hundreds of women a year having babies on highways in cars or ambulances.

Queensland is a national leader in roadside births, with hundreds of women a year having babies on highways in “pulled over” cars or ambulances.

New data from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare shows that in the state in 2021, 448 women did not make it to the nearest maternity unit and their babies arrived en route.

The Northern Territory had the highest numbers.

There were more “births before arrival” (BBAs) than the 320 babies who were born in their own homes.

Maternity Consumer Network’s Alecia Staines said it was an ongoing trend for Queensland to have some of the highest rates of BBAs in the country.

“Since the 1990s when we had 30 per cent of our rural maternity units close there has been more than a 200 per cent increase in BBAs or roadside births. I believe this number would have increased again over the last few years with Chinchilla, Theodore, Nambour, Biloela and Gladstone maternity services mothballed or on bypass, with Cooktown and Weipa also sitting idle,” she said.

The Rural Doctors Association Queensland president Alex Dunn told The Courier-Mail that no birth should be at increased risk due to location factors.

Health Minister Shannon Fentiman

“The safety of women and babies during gestation and birth should not depend on their postcode,” Dr Dunn said.

“We were encouraged to hear that key stakeholders are united in our commitment to achieving real outcomes for rural and remote communities at the recent maternity roundtable hosted by Health Minister Shannon Fentiman.

The Minister said that of the 60,000 babies born in Queensland every year, less than one per cent were born while the mum was being transported to hospital.

“Queensland is the most decentralised state in the country and we know that sometimes babies are just very eager to enter the world. I am working hard to ensure that all Queensland women get access to safe maternity care close to home,” Ms Fentiman said.

The AIHW data included data from across the state including cities.

Central Queensland Hospital and Health Service confirmed that no babies were born roadside due to the Gladstone maternity bypass.

One baby was born in an ambulance but this was not bypass related.

This was Chloe Childs who had baby Matilda on the Bruce Highway in an ambulance five minutes before arrival at Rockhampton Hospital in October last year.

“It is totally frightening to be in full labour and desperately trying to get to the hospital on time,” Ms Childs said.