Whanganui Chronicle
  • Whanganui Chronicle home
  • Latest news
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Residential property listings
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology

Locations

  • Taranaki
  • National Park
  • Whakapapa
  • Ohakune
  • Raetihi
  • Taihape
  • Marton
  • Feilding
  • Palmerston North

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

Weather

  • New Plymouth
  • Whanganui
  • Palmertson North
  • Levin

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Whanganui Chronicle

Poverty casue of high infant mortality

By Melissa Wishart
Whanganui Chronicle·
28 Jan, 2014 05:20 PM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

David Montgomery

David Montgomery

Wanganui's high rate of infant deaths between the ages of 28 days and one year can be attributed to poverty in our city, a paediatrician says.

The head of paediatrics at Wanganui Hospital, David Montgomery, said the Whanganui District Health Board (WDHB) provided education and support to parents regarding smoking, safe-sleeping, breast-feeding and mental health, but Sudden Unexpected Death of an Infant (SUDI) rates were still "unacceptably high".

WDHB reported 18 deaths of infants in the four years to 2012 - a rate of 4.03 for every 1000 live births - the highest in the country, according to a survey by the Child and Youth Mortality Review Committee (CYMRC).

The four-year block before that showed a rate of 3.54, with 16 deaths in the period between 2007-11.

"I think the essential point to make is that socioeconomic disadvantage appears to be causally linked to the risk of SUDI," said Dr Montgomery, who is also the chair of Wanganui's CYMRC.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"The reason we have high rates in Wanganui is that we have high rates of poverty."

In response to the rising death rate for Wanganui infants, mostly caused by SUDI, WDHB, Plunket, Whanganui Regional Health Network (WRNH) and the Teen Parents Reference Group would be applying for funds to purchase and distribute Pepi-Pods (safe portable baby beds) to parents of at-risk babies.

"The Whanganui community collaboration is aiming to distribute 300 Pepi-Pods a year for the first three years of the project," Dr Montgomery said.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

The WDHB also planned to launch a social marketing campaign about the importance of safe sleeping.

"Each family who receives a Pepi-Pod will also receive a personalised message about safe sleeping, and they will have to agree to adopt the safe sleeping principles," Dr Montgomery said.

Pepi-Pods are not a replacement for a bassinet or cot which meets NZ safety standards, but are portable for when the baby is away from home. They can be placed in the parents' bed while still giving the baby its own safe sleeping space.

"Several coroners have noted that the messages about safe sleeping are not getting through," Dr Montgomery said. "We anticipate that making Pepi-Pods available to those who need them will make a difference for our babies."

Discover more

Wanganui still waiting for Pepi Pods

06 Mar 06:05 PM

Lead Maternity Carers (LMCs) and midwives provide information to all expectant mothers about safe sleeping, he said, and Wellchild providers such as Tamariki Ora and Plunket nurses reinforce the information on their first visits to families.

"As with all culture/behaviour changes around subjects such as road safety, smokefree and safe sleeping for infants, it takes time for messages to become the norm," Dr Montgomery said.

The number of deaths for Maori infants was also disproportionately high throughout the country, the CYMRC reported.

"Our collaborative efforts include working closely with Whakawhetu (the national SUDI prevention for Maori) who have been here training our workforce to help them relay the SUDI messages in a manner that's culturally appropriate for Maori."

If babies had a low birth weight, were exposed to smoke, or were placed in sleeping positions that would compromise their airways, they would fall into the SUDI risk category.

"It's all about doing everything possible to enhance a baby's ability to breathe well," he said. Dr Montgomery called for family and friends to support those with newborn babies and encourage the safe sleeping message.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Save

    Share this article

Latest from Whanganui Chronicle

Whanganui Chronicle

RSA 'alive and well' despite premises closure

11 Jul 06:00 PM
Whanganui Chronicle

‘Everyone went silent’: Whanganui Youth MP speaks in Parliament

11 Jul 05:00 PM
Whanganui Chronicle

Major Joanna Margaret Paul exhibition opens

11 Jul 05:00 PM

From early mornings to easy living

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Whanganui Chronicle

RSA 'alive and well' despite premises closure

RSA 'alive and well' despite premises closure

11 Jul 06:00 PM

Former members are 'more than welcome' to return, RSA Welfare Trust president says.

‘Everyone went silent’: Whanganui Youth MP speaks in Parliament

‘Everyone went silent’: Whanganui Youth MP speaks in Parliament

11 Jul 05:00 PM
Major Joanna Margaret Paul exhibition opens

Major Joanna Margaret Paul exhibition opens

11 Jul 05:00 PM
Shelley Loader: How we can all get a share of the apples

Shelley Loader: How we can all get a share of the apples

11 Jul 05:00 PM
Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Whanganui Chronicle e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Whanganui Chronicle
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • NZME Events
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP