Maori babies at risk

Press, 8 March 1982, Page 14

Maori babies at risk

Maori babies have a high death rate in their first seven days of life, mainly because so many of them are premature and have a low birth-weight, according to Professor D. G. Bonham, director of obstetrics and gynaecology at the Faculty of Medicine, Auckland University. Professor Bonham has been conducting research into ethnic differences during pregnancy and after birth, which has been funded by the Foundation for the Newborn. “Pacific Islanders have a very low death rate, in the first seven days of life, but they compensate by having an extremely high stillbirth rate which is double the case for other groups,” he says. “Why this particular group has sb'many stillbirths could be a combination of a number of factors. We would like to say that it’s because they have very late ante-natal care, and they have uncertain dates of their last period. All these, things are true, but we don’t know if they fit together.” Professor Bonham says that Maoris are the major

sociological problem at present when looking at- the birth trends of the major ethnic groups in New Zealand. “They are reproducing very early; they, are reproducing as a means of occupation, very largely in a state of non-marriage; and they are very heavy smokers during pregnancy. “We have almost reached the stage when the Maori is having three or four children by 23 or 24, and asking to be sterilised before the Europeans have started to reproduce at all.” Professor Bonham regards the incidence of smoking amongst Maori women as a major concern. “Maori women have the highest incidence of lung cancer in the world and 70 per cent, of them smoke heavily during pregnancy. “Smokers have significantly more premature births than non-smokers, and our biggest number of smokers are Maoris. It therefore follows that Maori women are deliverying preterm babies.” >

About one-third of European women smoke during pregnancy and less than onefifth of Pacific Islanders smoke at this time.

“Right from 28 weeks of pregnancy, there is significant growth retardation of the foetus in relation to Europeans who smoke. “Whether it is harmful, is ■ another matter. Whether brains cells are knocked off, is another matter. I don't know. What I do know is that the main effect of smoking ‘ on Europeans is to reduce, the size of the baby they are carrying, and if -you are a smoking Maori, your baby will come a lot earlier.

“My advice to women is, prior ■ to pregnancy, they shoilld get themselves as fit as they can, then get pregnant,” Professor Bonham added.

“If they have blood pressure trouble, get it fixed. If they smoke, give it up. And any woman who has a bad record of miscarriages or previous abnormal babies must have .a suitable checkup so she can avoid it in the future.” ■.'