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01 July 2009
Health professionals support Chinese pregnancy groups
The Chinese community in the St George area has received a boost to its health services
with the introduction of Chinese Centering Pregnancy Groups at St George Hospital on 2 July.
The Maternity Service at St George Hospital has received a Community Outreach Program Grant of
$10,000 under the 2008/09 Cultural Diversity Health Enhancement Grants Program to set up the groups for Chinese women.
Midwifery & Nursing Co-director for St George and Sutherland Hospitals’ Women’s and Children’s Health Service,
Deb Matha, said the funding boost will assist women with a Chinese background to gain information
about pregnancy, labour, birth, breastfeeding and parenting in a supportive group environment.
“Small groups of women at 20 to 40 weeks gestation will be brought together with a midwife,
for antenatal assessments, pregnancy, birth and parenting information and support,” Ms Matha said.
“In the past, attendance by Chinese women to the Antenatal clinic and parenting classes were good,
however breastfeeding rates were poor.
“A recent audit at St George Hospital found 59 per cent of Chinese women chose not to exclusively
breastfeed as opposed to 29 per cent of women in the general population,” she said.
Ms Matha said improvement in the rates of initial and ongoing breastfeeding would be the
key focus of the project.
“In addition to improved access to education, Centering Pregnancy also promotes the development
of social support and the sharing of information within the group during pregnancy and the early mothering period.
Research shows that women with more social support and reduced stress are less likely to
experience pregnancy-related complications, postpartum depression and other adverse outcomes.
“Once the success of the project has been identified through audit and evaluation, it is
envisaged that the Chinese Centering Pregnancy Groups will be incorporated as a routine
model of care by re-designing the existing pre-natal service,” Ms Matha said.
Media enquiries: Maxine Brennan, 9113 2601, 0413 028 776
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