Maternal and neonatal health outcomes for First Nations Australian women and children: A retrospective cohort study in a Western Sydney metropolitan tertiary referral centre.

AIM: To analyse key pregnancy and birth outcomes for First Nations women and children at a Western Sydney metropolitan tertiary referral centre. METHODS: The birth and health-determining characteristics of 470 First Nations infants born at Nepean Hospital in 2018 and their mothers were included in a retrospective audit and compared with a contemporaneous control group of 470 infants and their mothers. RESULTS: Mothers of First Nations infants had significantly higher rates of socioeconomic disadvantage (P < 0.001), psychosocial vulnerability (P < 0.007), mental illness (P < 0.001), teenage pregnancy (P < 0.001), smoking (45.6% vs. 19.4%, P < 0.001) and drug and alcohol use than control mothers (P < 0.001, P < 0.048). First Nations peoples did not have increased rates of maternal morbidity, nor any difference in rates of Caesarean section, resuscitation at birth, NICU admission, preterm birth or low birth weight in multivariable analysis. However, multivariable analysis demonstrated significant associations between low birth weight and maternal smoking (P < 0.001), hypertension (P < 0.01) and drug use (P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Despite challenges facing First Nations mothers and infants, our study found no significant difference in maternal morbidity nor adverse birth outcomes for First Nations infants. The study occurred in the context of culturally specific, First Nations-led antenatal and infant services. Future studies should further investigate relationships between participation in these services and health outcomes. This could identify strengths and areas for improvement in current services, with the goal of further improving outcomes for First Nations peoples through targeted health services that address their psychosocial vulnerabilities and support women to make healthy choices during pregnancy.

Normal Gamma Glutamyl Transferase Levels at Presentation Predict Poor Outcome in Biliary Atresia.

OBJECTIVES: Gamma-glutamyl transferase levels (GGT) are typically elevated in biliary atresia (BA), but normal GGT levels have been observed. This cohort of "normal GGT" BA has neither been described nor has the prognostic value of GGT level on outcomes in BA. We aimed to describe outcomes of a single-centre Australian cohort of infants with BA and assess the impact of GGT level at presentation on outcomes in BA. METHODS: Infants diagnosed with BA between 1991 and 2017 were retrospectively analysed. Outcomes were defined as survival with native liver, liver transplantation (LT), and death. Patients were categorized into normal (<200I U/L) or high GGT groups based on a mean of 3 consecutive GGT values done before Kasai portoenterostomy (KPE). Baseline parameters, age at surgery, clearance of jaundice (COJ), and outcomes were compared between the 2 groups. RESULTS: One hundred thirteen infants underwent KPE at median 61 (30-149) days. At a median follow-up of 14.2 (0.9-26.3) years, 35% (39/113) patients were surviving with native liver, 55% (62/113) underwent LT and 11% (12/113) died pretransplant. 12.3% (14/113) patients had normal GGT. Age at KPE and time to COJ were similar between normal and high GGT groups. Normal GGT group had shorter time from KPE to LT (11 vs 18 months, P = 0.02), underwent LT at a younger age (14 vs 20 months, P = 0.04), and had poorer transplant-free survival (P = 0.04) than high GGT group. CONCLUSIONS: 12.3% of infants with BA had normal GGT levels at diagnosis. Low GGT levels at presentation in BA was associated with a poorer outcome.