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Definition

The scope of the Perinatal national minimum data set (NMDS) is all births in Australia in hospitals, birth centres and the community. The data set includes information on all births, both live births and stillbirths, of at least 20 weeks gestation or 400 grams birth weight.

These data have two dimensions, which are the baby and the mother. All data relevant to the birth are conveyed in relation to one of these.

Glossary items

Glossary terms that are relevant to this National minimum data set are included here.

Anaesthesia

Analgesia

Antenatal care visit

Birthweight

Geographic indicator

Hospital-in-the-home care

Live birth

Registered nurse

Separation

Stillbirth (fetal death)

Metadata items in this Data Set Specification

Below is a list of all the components within this Dataset Specification.
Each entry includes the item name, whether the item is optional, mandatory or conditional and the maximum times the item can occur in a dataset.
If the items must occur in a particular order in the dataset, the sequence number is included before the item name.


Data Elements
Reference Data Element Data Type Length Inclusion #
Birth event—anaesthesia administered indicator, yes/no code N Boolean 1 mandatory 1
Birth event—birth method, code N
Specific Information:
In the case of multiple births, this item should be recorded for each baby born.
Number 1 mandatory 1
Birth event—birth plurality, code N
Specific Information:

National Minimum Data Set (NMDS) Perinatal:

Multiple pregnancy increases the risk of complications during pregnancy, labour and delivery and is associated with higher risk of perinatal morbidity and mortality.

Plurality of pregnancy is determined by the number of babies that are in scope for the Perinatal NMDS (i.e. births of at least 20 weeks gestation or at least 400g birth weight). In the case of multiple pregnancies, if one or more fetuses were removed from the uterus before 20 weeks gestation, for example, by abortion (spontaneous, induced or fetal reduction) they are not considered in determining the birth plurality. For example, in a twin pregnancy, where one twin is aborted before 20 weeks gestation and the remaining twin is born and is in scope for the Perinatal NMDS, plurality is coded as ‘1 Singleton’. If both twins are born at 20 weeks gestation or more, plurality is coded as ‘2 Twins’.

This item is collected for the mother only.

Number 1 mandatory 1
Birth event—birth presentation, code N
Specific Information:
In the case of multiple births, this item should be recorded for each baby born.
Number 1 mandatory 1
Birth event—labour onset type, code N
Specific Information:

How labour commenced is closely associated with method of birth and maternal and neonatal morbidity. Induction rates vary for maternal risk factors and obstetric complications and are important indicators of obstetric intervention.

This item is collected for the mother only.

Number 1 mandatory 1
Birth event—setting of birth (actual), code N
Specific Information:

Used to analyse the risk factors and outcomes by place of birth. While most deliveries occur within hospitals, an increasing number of births now occur in other settings. It is important to monitor the births occurring outside hospitals and to ascertain whether or not the actual place of delivery was planned.

This item is collected for the mother only.

Number 1 mandatory 1
Birth event—state/territory of birth, code N
Specific Information:
This item is collected for the mother only.
- - mandatory 1
Birth event—type of anaesthesia administered, code N[N]
Conditional Inclusion:
This data element is to only be reported in cases where anaesthesia was administered to the mother during the birth event.
Number 2 conditional 7
Birth event—type of analgesia administered, code N[N]
Conditional Inclusion:
This data element is to only be reported in cases where analgesia was administered to the mother during the birth event.
- - conditional 6
Birth—Apgar score (at 5 minutes), code NN
Specific Information:

Required to analyse pregnancy outcome, particularly after complications of pregnancy, labour and birth. The Apgar score is an indicator of the health of a baby.

In the case of multiple births, this item should be recorded for each baby born.

String 2 mandatory 1
Birth—birth order, code N
Specific Information:

Birth order is only assigned to births that are in scope for the Perinatal NMDS (i.e. births of at least 20 weeks gestation or 400g birth weight). In the case of multiple pregnancies, if one or more fetuses were removed from the uterus before 20 weeks gestation, for example, by abortion (spontaneous, induced or fetal reduction), they are not considered in the assignment of birth order for any remaining fetuses that are born. For example, in a twin pregnancy, where one fetus is aborted before 20 weeks, no birth order would be recorded for that twin. If the remaining twin is born and is in scope for the Perinatal NMDS, then their birth order would be recorded as ‘1 Singleton or first of a multiple birth’. If both twins are born and are in scope for the Perinatal NMDS, the first twin will be assigned a birth order of ‘1 Singleton or first of a multiple birth’ and the second twin will be assigned a birth order of ‘2 Second of a multiple birth’.

In the case of multiple births, this item should be recorded for each baby born.

Number 1 mandatory 1
Birth—birth status, code N
Specific Information:

Essential to analyse outcome of pregnancy.

In the case of multiple births, this item should be recorded for each baby born.

Number 1 mandatory 1
Birth—birth weight, total grams NNNN
Specific Information:

For the provision of state and territory hospital data to Commonwealth agencies this metadata item must be consistent with diagnoses and procedure codes for valid grouping.

Weight is an important indicator of pregnancy outcome, is a major risk factor for neonatal morbidity and mortality and is required to analyse perinatal services for high-risk infants.

This metadata item is required to generate Australian National Diagnosis Related Groups.

In the case of multiple births, this item should be recorded for each baby born.

- - mandatory 1
Episode of admitted patient care—separation date, DDMMYYYY
Specific Information:

For the provision of state and territory hospital data to Commonwealth agencies this field must:

  • be <= last day of financial year
  • be >= first day of financial year
  • be >= Admission date

This item is collected once for the mother and once for the baby.

Date/Time 8 mandatory 2
Establishment—organisation identifier (Australian), NNX[X]NNNNN
Specific Information:
This item is collected for the mother only.
- - mandatory 1
Female (pregnant)—number of cigarettes smoked (per day after 20 weeks of pregnancy), number N[NN]
Specific Information:
This item is collected for the mother only.
Conditional Inclusion:
Record if answer to Female (pregnant)—tobacco smoking indicator (after twenty weeks of pregnancy), yes/no code N is Yes
Number 3 conditional 1
Female (pregnant)—tobacco smoking indicator (after twenty weeks of pregnancy), yes/no code N
Specific Information:
This item is collected for the mother only.
Number 1 mandatory 1
Female (pregnant)—tobacco smoking indicator (first twenty weeks of pregnancy), yes/no code N
Specific Information:
This item is collected for the mother only.
Number 1 mandatory 1
Female—number of antenatal care visits, total N[N] Number 2 mandatory 1
Person—area of usual residence, statistical area level 2 (SA2) code (ASGS 2011) N(9)
Specific Information:
This item is collected for the mother only.
String 9 mandatory 1
Person: Country of Birth, Code (SACC 2011) NNNN Number 4 mandatory 1
Person: Date of Birth, DDMMYYYY
Specific Information:
This item is collected once for the mother and once for the baby.
Date/Time 8 mandatory 2
Person—Indigenous status, code N
Specific Information:
This item is collected once for the mother and once for the baby.
Number 1 mandatory 2
Person—person identifier, XXXXXX[X(14)]
Specific Information:
This item is collected once for the mother and once for the baby.
- - mandatory 2
Person: Sex, Code N
Specific Information:
In the case of multiple births, this item should be recorded for each baby born.
Number 1 mandatory 1
Pregnancy—estimated duration (at the first visit for antenatal care), completed weeks N[N]
Specific Information:
This item is collected for the mother only.
Number 2 mandatory 1
Product of conception—gestational age, completed weeks N[N]
Specific Information:

The first day of the last menstrual period (LMP) is required to estimate gestational age, which is a key outcome of pregnancy and an important risk factor for neonatal outcomes. Although the date of the LMP may not be known, or may sometimes be erroneous, estimation of gestational age based on clinical assessment may also be inaccurate. Both methods of assessing gestational age are required for analysis of outcomes.

This item is collected for the mother only.

Number 2 mandatory 1

Comments

Comments:

Glossary items

Glossary terms that are relevant to this National minimum data set are included here.

Anaesthesia

Analgesia

Antenatal care visit

Birthweight

Geographic indicator

Hospital-in-the-home care

Live birth

Registered nurse

Separation

Stillbirth (fetal death)

References

Related content

Relation Count
As a numerator in an Indicator 0
As a denominator in an Indicator 0
As a disaggregation in an Indicator 0