title: Antenatal care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  About 6% of Australian births are to an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander parent and there is a clear disparity in birth outcomes between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and non-Indigenous Australians. Some issues affecting birth outcomes are similar nationally whilst others will be more particular to certain areas.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This paper will highlight important areas that may facilitate improved care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A key component of improving pregnancy outcomes is early and ongoing engagement in antenatal care, which is facilitated by the provision of culturally appropriate and evidence based care relevant to the local community. The majority of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples live in urban or inner regional areas and receive healthcare through mainstream services and it is important therefore for all practitioners to be aware of how to optimise care to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women.
authors.affiliation: MBBS (Class II Hons), GradDip ClinEpi, FRANZCOG, Staff Specialist, Department of Obstetrics and Gynacology, Grafton Base Hospital, Grafton, NSW.
authors.forename: Marilyn
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Clarke
authors.forename: Jacqueline
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Boyle
mesh_terms: D001315:Australia; D003466:Cultural Characteristics; D054521:Cultural Competency; D003695:Delivery of Health Care / Q000592:standards; D005260:Female; D006303:Health Services, Indigenous / Q000592:standards*; D054625:Healthcare Disparities; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D010358:Patient Participation; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000208:ethnology; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D011295:Prenatal Care / Q000523:psychology / Q000592:standards*; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors