This annual report - Taranaki District Health Board

Stream Indicator New Zealand Distribution and Trends Midland DHBs Distribution and TrendsSocioeconomicallySensitive HospitalAdmissions andMortalityInfant Mortality:Neonatal andPost NeonatalMortalityInfant Mortality:SUDIIn New Zealand during the 1990s, neonatal and postneonatal mortality both declined, although rates weremore static during the mid to late 2000s. An upswing inneonatal mortality was evident during 2007–2009although it is too early to say whether this is a randomfluctuation or the beginning of an upward trend.During 2005–2009, extreme prematurity and congenitalanomalies were the leading causes of neonatal mortality,while SUDI was the leading cause of post neonatalmortality.Neonatal mortality was significantly higher for Pacific andMāori infants than for European infants, for males and forthose from average to more deprived (NZDep deciles 5–10) areas. Post neonatal mortality was significantlyhigher for Māori and Pacific infants than for Europeanand Asian/Indian infants, for males and for those frommore deprived (NZDep deciles 7–10) areas.In New Zealand, SUDI rates declined during the late1990s and early 2000s, but became more static after2002–03. When broken down by SUDI sub-type, deathsattributed to SIDS continued to decline throughout 1996–2009, while deaths due to suffocation or strangulation inbed became more prominent as the period progressed. Itis unclear however, whether this represented adiagnostic shift in the coding of SUDI, or whether thesleeping environment made an increasingly greatercontribution to SUDI as the period progressed.During 2005–2009, SUDI mortality was highest in infants4–7 weeks, followed by those aged 8–11 weeks and thenthose 0–3 weeks of age. SUDI: Suffocation/Strangulation in Bed accounted for 61.0% of all SUDIdeaths in those aged 0–3 weeks and 38.2% of SUDIdeaths in those aged 4–7 weeks.Mortality from SUDI was significantly higher for Māori >Pacific > European > Asian/Indian infants and those frommore deprived (NZDep deciles 7–10) areas.In all of the DHBs in the Midland Region during 2005–2009,congenital anomalies and extreme prematurity were the mostfrequent causes of neonatal mortality, while SUDI was themost frequent cause of post neonatal mortality.In all of the DHBs in the Midland Region during 1990–2009,while there were large year to year fluctuations in rates(possibly as a result of small numbers), total infant mortalityexhibited a general downward trend. While neonatal mortalityrates were relatively static, post neonatal mortality exhibited ageneral downward trend in all Midland DHBs except Taranaki.In all of the DHBs in the Midland Region during 2005–2009,while neonatal mortality rates were higher than the NewZealand rate, in no case did these differences reach statisticalsignificance. Similarly while post neonatal mortality rates inthe Waikato, Lakes DHB, Tairawhiti and Taranaki were allhigher than the New Zealand rate, in no Midland DHB didthese differences reach statistical significance.In the Bay of Plenty, Lakes DHB and Tairawhiti during 1996–2009, SUDI rates declined. While rates in Lakes DHB and theBay of Plenty remained higher than the New Zealand rate forthe majority of this period, in the Bay of Plenty, while initiallyhigher, rates became similar to the New Zealand rate after2006. In the Waikato and Taranaki, while there wasconsiderable year to year volatility, SUDI rates were relativelystatic overall.Introduction and Overview - 39