Wellington, March 13 NZPA - One in 100 babies died before being a month old in 2006, a report shows.

The Perinatal and Maternal Mortality Review Committee reported today on all infant deaths for babies born after 20 weeks gestation up to and including 28 days of life or weighing at least 400 grams if dates were unclear.

The report found 12.2 babies per 1000 births died before reaching 28 days.

Three-quarters of those were fetal deaths, which included one-third terminations and two-thirds stillbirths.

The number of babies dying between 20 weeks gestation and seven days after birth was 11.6 per 1000 births, similar to Australian states of Victoria (12.7/1000) and Western Australia (10.1/1000) figures from 2005.

The figure is consistent with the 11.2/1000 rate from 2004 but up on the 9.8/1000 provisionally reported for 2005.

The report suggests the increase is due to increased reporting of deaths.

Pacific and Maori babies were more likely to die early as were babies whose mothers were under the age of 20.

"These differences will be explored in later reports in which a broader time span, and hence larger numbers, will enable more detailed analysis," the report said.

A higher ratio of deaths involving young mothers was well documented, it said.

Multiple births also increase the risk with three times as many deaths, in the 20 weeks gestation to seven days life period, as singleton births.

The number of maternal deaths, women who died while pregnant or within 42 days after termination of pregnancy, was also up.

In 2006 10 women per 100,000 pregnancies died as a direct result of their pregnant state, up from 8.6/100,000 in 2005.

Again the report said the increase was due to improved reporting.

The report made a number of recommendations including: having detailed analysis of stillbirths among Pacific woman and neonatal deaths among Maori infants, analysis of perinatal mortality among mothers under 20, promotion of Ministry of Health guidelines for pregnant woman, informing lead maternity carers bleeding during pregnancy is a possible risk, developing perinatal pathology services, and offering improved help for families who lose a child.

In relation to maternal mortality the report suggested improved national reporting of maternal deaths, District Health Board reviews of such deaths, and that medical death certificates be modified to include a tick box to indicate if a woman had been pregnant within one year of death.

The New Zealand Medical Association (NZMA) welcomed the report and said a full understanding of maternity services was important for the sake of all women and babies.

"Any death of a baby or mother is a tragedy, and some deaths are not always avoidable, but we can use this information to learn how to do things better," NZMA maternity spokesman Mark Peterson said.

He said it was disappointing reliable statistics were only available from 2006.

The New Zealand and Australian obstetricians and gynaecologists committee also welcomed the report.

Chairwoman Gillian Gibson said it was a beginning of a long-term strategy of gathering and analysing data about maternity services that was "long overdue".

"We urge the ministry to publish a larger and more up to date dataset."

Dr Gibson said the maternal deaths statistic was a concern and the recommendations on the issue were welcomed.

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