RANZCOG - inquiry into improving child health outcomes

RANZCOG statement about Health Select Committee inquiry into improving child health outcomes and preventing child abuse

Statement can be attributed to Dr Ian Page, Chair of the New Zealand Committee of The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RANZCOG).

“The New Zealand Committee of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists congratulates the Health Select Committee inquiry into improving child health outcomes and preventing child abuse on its thorough report. We support its recommendations and particularly hope that the government implements the recommendations about maternity care and family planning in their entirety.

In particular, we strongly support the recommendation that the Ministry of Health require DHBs to set a key performance indicator requiring the majority of pregnant women to be booked in for antenatal assessment by 10 weeks gestation. Early engagement means pregnant women are able to review and modify risk factors if they wish with the guidance of their health care provider. This means health outcomes can potentially be improved for mothers and their babies. This recommendation confirms that of the National Maternity Monitoring Group in its 2013 Annual report.

The committee’s focus on improving nutrition prior to and during pregnancy as one pathway for addressing the obesity epidemic highlights the need for high quality research in New Zealand about how best to intervene during pregnancy to create positive health outcomes for mothers and babies. New Zealand has a unique multi-cultural environment, so it is important to find out what is effective in our country.

Consistent with the findings from the recent ‘External review of maternity care in the Counties Manukau District’, this inquiry also highlights problems with access to timely and affordable contraception for many New Zealand women. The New Zealand Committee of RANZCOG believes that all women in New Zealand should have access to a range of contraceptive methods (including long-acting, reversible contraception) without waiting weeks for an appointment. Unfortunately in many parts of the country this isn’t the case and women do not have timely access to affordable family planning services.”

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