Indigenous newborn care.

Infant mortality and morbidity disparities occur between non-Indigenous and Indigenous populations of Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United States. Neonatal mortality is due to high-risk births, which vary according to prevalence of the maternal risk factors of smoking, alcohol consumption, infection, and disorders of nutritional status, whereas postneonatal mortality is predominantly influenced by environmental factors. Aside from changing socioeconomic conditions, a continuum of maternal and child health care is likely to be the most effective measure in reducing these health disparities.