KEY POINTS:
New Zealand's Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (Sids) rate in 2004 was the lowest since records began, according to new official figures.
There were 45 Sids cases recorded in 2004, six fewer than in 2003, according to Fetal and Infant Deaths 2003 and 2004 released by the New Zealand Health Information Service (NZHIS) today.
Sids is the sudden unexpected death of a baby.
NZHIS said the overall Sids death rate was 0.8 per 1000 live births - the lowest rate recorded since Sids became a separate category in the International Classification of Diseases in 1979.
"We are heartened by this reduction in deaths which means that fewer parents are experiencing the tragic loss of their young babies," Child and Youth Health chief adviser Dr Pat Tuohy said.
"We encourage parents to continue to sleep babies on their backs, breastfeed their infants and have a smokefree pregnancy and home so they can give their babies the safest start in life."
NZHIS said that the infant death rate (deaths of infants between birth and one year of life) had fallen slightly over the last 10 years, but Pacific and Maori infant death rates remained high, partly due to high rates of Sids.
NZHIS also released two other publications today - Cancer New Registrations and Deaths 2004 and Selected Health Professional Workforce in New Zealand 2006.
There were 19,223 new cases of cancer diagnosed and reported to the New Zealand Cancer Registry in 2004, and 8145 deaths, says Cancer Control principal adviser Dr John Childs.
Registrations increased by 3.4 per cent from 2003 and deaths increased by 1.5 per cent.
Cancer remained the leading cause of death in 2004, with lung cancer the leading cause of death from cancer.
"The Ministry of Health, District Health Boards and non-governmental organisations are working to reduce the toll cancer takes on New Zealanders," Dr Childs said.
Activities included enhancing the tobacco control programme, putting in place the Healthy Eating, Healthy Action strategy and improving national screening programmes.
"The cancer control programme is also progressing initiatives to ensure all New Zealanders have timely access to comprehensive cancer treatment and palliative care services."
The workforce publication updates statistics about 11 health professional workforces in New Zealand. The professions covered include midwives, medical radiation technologists and psychologists but not doctors or nurses.
The report showed that there had been a steady increase in the proportion of women involved in these professions over recent years.
- NZPA
