Queensland's Health Minister defends the state of maternity services in rural and remote areas, while announcing an expert taskforce will review data on newborn deaths.

Western Australia's caesarean section rates have climbed to 37.8 per cent of all births, with natural-birth advocates saying the increase could be due to cultural shifts in the medical industry.

WASHINGTON _ Katie Raftery was in a Massachusetts prison for drug-related crimes when she found out she was pregnant with her second child. A longtime heroin user, she was released to a residential drug treatment program where she stayed for seven months, until her baby was born.