Matilda Maternity Statistics

There is just so much to learn and think about when you are expecting a new baby, so to help you, we have shared some up-to-date stats about having a baby at Matilda from the first half of 2023 that you may find useful.

As a member of the Australian Council on Healthcare Standards (ACHS) accreditation body the Matilda Maternity Unit benchmarks clinical outcomes against maternity units who submitted data internationally, including Australia (data *aggregated from maternity indicators received from up to 116hospitals). The statistics in the tables are based on ladies giving birth for the first time ‘primipara’ (apart from vaginal delivery following previous birth by caesarean section) as this is the standard collection criteria for ACHS.

Type of Deliveries

	Matilda	*ACHS benchmark
Spontaneous Vaginal Delivery A higher rate for this indicator is desirable	42.4%	28.9%
Caesarean Section A lower rate for this indicator is desirable	35.9%	51.4%

Matilda rates are for all deliveries, including those for auspicious times. For information on the caesarean section rate specific to your obstetrician please check with them.

Neonatal Wellbeing

	Matilda	*ACHS benchmark
Normal Apgar score (≥ 7 at 5 minutes post-delivery) A higher rate for this indicator is desirable	100%	99.2%

The Apgar score is a method for reporting the physiological status of your baby in the first few minutes after birth.

On average 3% of babies who require closer monitoring are transferred to our Special Care Baby Unit (SCBU) with an average stay of 3.1 days.

Should a baby require intensive care they would be transferred to a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) within a Government hospital. Often parents choose to transfer to a Government hospital if the baby is not covered by insurance. The average number of babies transferred to Government hospitals was less than 1% of deliveries in 2022.

Assistance and Intervention
A lower rate for this indicator is desirable

	Matilda	*ACHS benchmark
Induction of labour	30.4%	35%
Instrumental deliveries e.g. ventouse and forceps deliveries	21.7%	15%

Caesarean Sections

	Matilda	*ACHS benchmark
Vaginal delivery following previous birth by caesarean section A desirable rate is unspecified	3.3%	3.6%
Timing of SAP for the Lower Segment Caesarean Section A higher rate for this indicator is desirable	100%	86%
Correct SAP and dose for the Lower Segment Caesarean Section A higher rate for this indicator is desirable	100%	94%

We require a paediatrician present in theatre for all Caesarean Sections, so that should the need arise, your paediatrician can respond immediately.

Breast Feeding
In 2023 the sharing breastfeeding rate at Matilda was over 96.6% which is considered high with many Mums continuing to feed their babies longer than average on return home. We offer lactation consultant support should you choose to breastfeed, to give you the best possible chance of succeeding. Advice and care is also available for Mums who choose not to breastfeed or find themselves unable to.

Updated 6 Jun 2024 by the Maternity Department and Clinical Risk Management Team
ACHS benchmarking statistic provided every 6th months and this document reviewed on receipt of new statistics.