Consultative Council on Obstetric and Paediatric Mortality and Morbidity

By law, all births must be notified to the Victorian Perinatal Data Collection (VPDC).

The VPDC is a population-based surveillance system and contains comprehensive information on the health of mothers and babies.

What do you have to report?

Any birth or stillbirth that occurs in Victoria.

This includes every birth of at least 20 weeks' gestation or 400 grams birth weight (if gestation is unknown).

Birth data must be submitted within 30 days following discharge.

Health services must report congenital anomalies for live births, stillbirths and terminations of pregnancy to the Victorian Congenital Anomalies Register (VCAR).

What do you have to report?

A congenital anomaly (or ‘birth defect’) is an anomaly in body structure or chemistry that is present at birth. They can range from very minor to major conditions.

Although most congenital anomalies are detected during pregnancy, at birth or in early infancy, some may not be recognised until long after birth. 

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