A study found about one in 10 ACT women smoked during pregnancy. Photo: JULIAN KINGMA
Canberra is the worst in its peer group for women smoking during pregnancy and had the second-highest infant and child death rates when compared with similar high-income metropolitan areas.
A National Health Performance Authority child and maternal health report released on Thursday reveals the ACT did not fare well in relation to smoking during pregnancy when compared with areas that are similar in socio-economic status, remoteness and distance to hospitals.
Canberra was placed in a peer group with Bayside in Victoria, Sydney north shore and beaches, eastern, northern and inner west Sydney as well as inner north-west and inner east Melbourne.
About one in 10 ACT women smoked during pregnancy – more than five times higher than Sydney’s north shore and beaches where only 1.8 per cent of expectant mothers smoked. Nationally nearly 14 per cent of pregnant women smoked.