A national best practice guide for equity in preterm birth in Aotearoa

The early (preterm) birth of a baby impacts on the wellbeing of mother, baby and whānau. In Aotearoa, the rates of preterm birth and outcomes after preterm birth differ by ethnic group and by which region people live in. European and Asian women and babies experience advantage over Māori, Pasifika and Indian, as do those living in urban centres compared with those in rural locations. The already established ‘Taonga Tuku Iho, Equity in Preterm Birth Care and Outcomes in Aotearoa’ knowledge translation project aims to improve rates and outcomes of preterm birth with a particular focus on achieving equity. The studies planned within my PhD are nested within Taonga Tuku Iho. I will identify high-quality equity-driven guidelines; review existing implementation tools and resources; develop a Core Outcome Set; review current national maternity datasets and; measure the overall impact of a new national best practice guide for preterm birth.