Birthweight changes in the pilot phase of the Strong Women Strong Babies Strong Culture Program in the Northern Territory

Objective: The Strong Women Strong Babies Strong Culture program had specif ic goals to increase infant birthweights by earlier attendance for antenata l care and improved maternal weight status. Starting in August 1993, Aborig inal women in three pilot communities worked with pregnant women in a progr am that emphasised both traditional practices and Western medicine. Method: Two sources of data were used to examine different aspects of progr am effects. Results: Data from the NT Midwives Collection shows that the mean birthweig ht of infants of Aboriginal women increased by 171 g between 1990/91 and 19 94/95 in the pilot communities and by 92 g in the surrounding three rural r egions. Data extracted from clinic records in the pilot communities found t hat changes in maternal: weight were associated with change in birthweight over time. Conclusion: Changes in birthweight coincide with the commencement of the pr ogram and are larger than the secular trend in surrounding communities. Imp lications: Ongoing evaluation of the expanded program will help to determin e the extent to which the change in birthweight can be attributed to the pr ogram and whether the effects can be replicated.