Neural Tube Defects in Pregnancy

Younger women and women living in remote areas are more likely to have neural tube defect (NTD) affected pregnancies than older women and women living in major cities according to a report released today by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare.

The report Neural tube defects in Australia, showed that teenage women had the highest rate of NTD affected pregnancies and women aged 30-34 years the lowest.

"Multiple pregnancies were also more likely to have neural tube defects than singleton pregnancies," said Dr Samanthi Abeywardana of the Institute's National Perinatal Statistics Unit.

Neural tube defects are major congenital anomalies that result from very early disruption in the development of the brain and spinal cord.

Surviving children are at high risk of frequent illnesses, disability and death.

Spina bifida is the most commonly known neural tube defect.

"During last three decades, mounting evidence has shown that increased intake of folic acid during the period around conception corresponds with a decreased prevalence of neural tube defects," Dr Abeywardana said.

"In light of this evidence Australia will join many other developed countries in implementing mandatory folic acid fortification of bread making flour (from September 2009) to minimise the births affected with neural tube defects," she said.

Although there is only about 1 NTD-affected birth per 2000 births, the estimated prevalence of neural tube defects among pregnancies is much higher, at more than 1 per 1000, because some women diagnosed with NTD affected pregnancies opt for planned termination.

"And, because figures on spontaneous miscarriage due to neural tube defects are not available, the actual prevalence rate among pregnancies is likely to be even higher than this estimated prevalence," she said.

Although there was no obvious decreasing trend among births in recent years, there was a decrease of over 30% in the neural tube defects prevalence among affected pregnancies between 1992 and 2005.

***

The Christian Brothers have announced the appointment of their former Western Australian leader, Br Kevin Ryan, as the new director of a national disability services network in Papua New Guinea.

Fifty eight year old Br Kevin Ryan will head Callan Services for Disabled Persons and be based at its national coordinating unit in Wewak, a Christian Brothers media statement says. Callan Services is involved in the training of personnel to work with people with physical, sensory and mental disability.

The national unit working in partnership with national and international, government and non-government partners and agencies, also addresses social disadvantage, promotes specialist health services and mounts disability prevention programs in rural communities.

***

ACBC immigration spokesman Bishop Joseph Grech has called for a review of immigration procedures following a government decision to deny a German doctor permanent residency because his son has Down's Syndrome.

Bishop Joseph Grech said the case had highlighted the need to examine how Australia's immigration system treated people with disability and their families.

He called on the Immigration Minister Chris Evans to intervene and overturn the Immigration Department's ruling in the case of Dr Bernhard Moeller and his family who were refused permanent residency because Dr Moeller's 13 year old son Lukas has Down Syndrome.

This is an opportunity for the Australian government not only to intervene in this case, but to be a world leader in moving to adjust its immigration system to include all people, regardless of their ability or disability.

***

New Zealand - The Service and Food Workers Union Nga Ringa Tota has welcomed the announcement by Minister of Health David Cunliffe of a $91.375 million disability support funding package, part of which is targeted at the improvement of wages and conditions for sector workers.

"We welcome the government's recognition of the important role that these services play for people with disabilities," said John Ryall, SFWU National Secretary.

"We believe people with disabilities should have the same opportunities as everyone else in New Zealand and deserve quality support services."

"The disability support workforce is poorly paid, has no funded qualification and training path and faces horrendous challenges due to very high staff turnover."

"This funding is another step in the direction of improving the pay and conditions of workers in the disability sector providing it flows on directly to the workers for whom it was intended."

"As well as working to ensure that all of the allocated money flows on to support workers we will be participating in a tri-partite working group which is being set up this week to look at a longer term action plan for the disability sector workforce development," said John Ryall.

***

Several hundred aged and disability pensioners have been caught up by Australia's relatively new anti-money laundering laws.

The laws were introduced in 2006 and have been gradually phased in. Under the laws, casinos around the country can hand over information to federal authorities about any so-called suspicious transactions.

The Welfare Rights Centre in New South Wales says it has received dozens of complaints from customers of Sydney's Star City Casino, complaining they had their pensions docked.

The centre's director, Maree O'Halloran, says many aged and disability pensioners were shocked to find out that Star City Casino was collecting all their information and sending it to Centrelink under anti-money laundering laws.

***

In Australia can a worker bring an unfair dismissal claim if their employment is terminated for redundancy?

At the moment, the answer is "no". This is because employers can rely on the "genuine operational reasons" exemption to unfair dismissal. This is where a worker's employment is terminated for genuine operational reasons or for reasons that include genuine operational reasons, the employee is precluded from bringing an unfair dismissal claim.

Operational reasons are defined as "reasons of an economic, technological, structural or similar nature relating to the employer's undertaking, establishment, service or business, or to a part of the employer's undertaking, establishment, service or business".

So when an employer terminates employment because the position is genuinely no longer needed by the employer, the former employee cannot successfully bring such a claim. The key word however is "genuinely".

An employer must demonstrate that an operational reason is behind the dismissal or lay off. If the reason for the dismissal is a different reason, such as the employee's conduct or a prohibited reason such as disability or because it is a convenient way to deal with a poorly performing worker, the employer cannot rely on the exemption.