He Tamariki Kokoti Tau-Tackling Preterm: a data-linkage methodology to explore the clinical care pathway in preterm deliveries

摘要

BackgroundSignificant health inequities exist around maternal and infant health for Māori, the indigenous people of Aotearoa New Zealand – and in particular around a premature (preterm) delivery. Māori babies are more likely to be born preterm (8.1%, compared to an overall rate of 7.4%) and they are more likely to have a preterm death. An essential part of redressing these disparities is to examine the clinical care pathway and outcomes associated with preterm deliveries. This paper describes a protocol utilising national and local health collections to enable such a study.