We are making significant progress towards our goal of zero preventable deaths of babies and children during pregnancy, infancy and early childhood
In Australia, approximately 300,000 babies are born each year.
Tragically, around 2,300 of these babies do not survive, with six stillborn and two dying within the first 28 days every day.
While significant progress has been made, with an 80% reduction in sudden unexpected deaths in infancy (SUDI) since 1989, Indigenous families experience rates three to four times higher than non-Indigenous families.
Continued efforts focus on safe sleep education, equitable healthcare, and innovative research to achieve zero preventable deaths.
12,069
babies saved*
$18 million invested in research to date
80% reduction in sudden infant deaths since 1989*
Access a snapshot of the latest data for births, perinatal deaths, and sudden unexpected deaths in infancy in Australia here
Types of infant loss
Neonatal death
Death occurring after live birth to 28 days post-delivery.
Infant death
Death occurring after live birth up to 1 year of age.
Perinatal death
All neonatal deaths plus all stillbirths.
Stillbirth
Death occurring from 20 weeks gestation prior to birth with a weight of 400g or more. Stillbirth may also include late term abortion after 20 weeks gestation
In 2021, there were 315,705 babies born to 311,360 mothers in Australia(1)
There were 3,016 perinatal deaths(1) (less than 1% of babies born)
Of these deaths, just over 75% were stillbirths (2,278) and 25% (738) were neonatal deaths(1)
In 2022, there were 958 infant deaths(2)
Sudden & unexpected death in infancy (SUDI) across Australia
What is SUDI & how is it different to SIDS?
SUDI is a broad term used to describe the sudden and unexpected death of an infant for which the cause is not immediately obvious. SUDI includes deaths from SIDS as well as deaths from other unexpected causes, such as, fatal sleep accidents, drownings and other accidental deaths.
In 2022, there were 117 SUDI deaths across Australia(3).
Neonatal death
Death occurring after live birth to 28 days post-delivery.
Infant death
Death occurring after live birth up to 1 year of age.
Perinatal death
All neonatal deaths plus all stillbirths.
In 2022, there were 117 SUDI deaths across Australia(3).
ACT
07
NSW
25
NT
07
SA
08
TAS
07
QLD
46
VIC
16
WA
15
Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)
SIDS is defined as the sudden and unexpected death of an infant under one year of age with an onset of a fatal episode occurring during sleep, that remains unexplained after a thorough investigation. Depending on the state or territory, SIDS is identified by the certifying doctor or coroner as either SIDS or an unknown cause of death. The figures below include both types of data.
In 2022, 106 infant deaths were attributed to either SIDS (15) or an unknown cause of death (91) in Australia(3).
In 2022, there were 117 SUDI deaths across Australia(3).
NSW
23
SA
07
QLD
44
VIC
14
WA
14
Other
04
Data is not presented for other states or territories due to small counts. Due to differences in certification between states and territories, SIDS deaths include both SIDS and unspecified causes of death.
Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)
In 2022, Indigenous Australian women were almost two times more likely to experience perinatal death than non-Indigenous women(3,4).
Since 2010, there has been a 22% reduction in the overall infant mortality rate for Indigenous Australian infants.
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