Hon Dr AYESHA VERRALL: Eighty-five percent of women in New Zealand experience a form of birthing injury and, of these, 5 percent are severe enough to require ongoing treatment and care. Many birthing injuries—for example, bruising and tearing—share similar features to other physical injuries, such as accidents, that are covered by ACC, so it's only fair that these injuries are covered too. This list of birthing injuries has been developed and tested with ACC and medical experts, including specialists in obstetrics and gynaecology.