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. 2023 Jul 25;23:252. doi: 10.1186/s12871-023-02214-w

Table 3.

Pain, obstetric and neonatal characteristics

Variables Low acute postpartum pain
(NRS 0–2)
N = 759
High acute postpartum pain
(NRS ≥ 3)
N = 121
Unadjusted
OR (95% CI)
P-value
Gravida, mean (SD) 1.8 (1.2) 1.9 (1.3) 1.04 (0.89–1.21) 0.6583
Gestational age (weeks), mean (SD) 38.1 (1.7) 38.1 (1.4) 1.00 (0.83–1.21) 0.9883
Parity, n (%)
 Nulliparous 394 (70.1) 77 (81.9) Reference --
 Multiparous 168 (29.9) 17 (18.1) 0.52 (0.30–0.90) 0.0202
Menstrual cycles, n (%)
 Regular 561 (79.5) 96 (87.3) Reference --
 Irregular 145 (20.5) 14 (12.7) 0.56 (0.31–1.02) 0.0572
Nausea during menstruation before current pregnancy, n (%) 0.0082a
 Never 345 (49.0) 54 (47.4) Reference --
 Rarely 219 (31.1) 44 (38.6) 1.28 (0.83–1.98) 0.2579
 Sometimes 124 (17.6) 9 (7.9) 0.46 (0.22–0.97) 0.0404
 Always 16 (2.3) 7 (6.1) 2.80 (1.10–7.11) 0.0309
Contraceptive use, n (%) 0.3664a
 None 603 (91.1) 98 (92.5) Reference --
 Oral contraceptive 15 (2.3) 4 (3.8) 1.64 (0.53–5.05) 0.3876
 Others 44 (6.6) 4 (3.8) 0.56 (0.20–1.59) 0.2762
Current pregnancy, n (%) 0.4593a
 Unplanned 195 (27.2) 27 (23.7) 0.80 (0.50–1.27) 0.3433
 Planned: Natural 455 (63.5) 79 (69.3) Reference --
 Planned: Assisted 67 (9.3) 8 (7.0) 0.69 (0.32–1.49) 0.3416
Labor analgesia, n (%)
 None 26 (3.4) 3 (2.5) 0.72 (0.21–2.41) 0.5903
 Epidural analgesia 606 (79.8) 97 (80.2) 1.02 (0.63–1.65) 0.9346
 Pethidine 124 (16.3) 29 (24.0) 1.61 (1.02–2.56) 0.0412
 Entonox 477 (62.8) 79 (65.3) 1.11 (0.74–1.66) 0.6049
 Remifentanil 8 (1.1) 1 (0.8) 0.78 (0.10–6.31) 0.8178
Mode of delivery, n (%) 0.0627 a
 Normal vaginal delivery 492 (64.8) 72 (59.5) Reference --
 Emergency cesarean delivery 181 (23.8) 26 (21.5) 0.99 (0.61–1.59) 0.9395
 Instrumental delivery 86 (11.3) 23 (19.0) 1.83 (1.08–3.08) 0.0237
Menstrual cycles, n (%)
 Regular 561 (79.5) 96 (87.3) Reference --
 Irregular 145 (20.5) 14 (12.7) 0.56 (0.31–1.02) 0.0572
Postpartum obstetric complications, n (%)b
 None 623 (83.6) 91 (78.4) Reference --
 Yes 122 (16.4) 25 (21.6) 1.40 (0.87–2.28) 0.1694
Neonatal complications, n (%)c
 None 708 (95.3) 110 (94.8) Reference --
 Yes 35 (4.7) 6 (5.2) 1.10 (0.45–2.68) 0.8283
Duration of second stage of labor (mins), mean (SD) 62.9 (59.7) 78.3 (62.1) 1.004 (1.001–1.01) 0.0225
Blood loss during delivery (mL), mean (SD) 273.1 (135.6) 310.1 (211) 1.01 (1.00–1.02)d 0.0161
Placental weight (g), mean (SD) 608.5 (119.1) 643.3 (115.4) 1.002 (1.001–1.004) 0.0030
Infant weight (g), mean (SD) 3178.2 (361.4) 3279 (382.1) 1.001 (1.00–1.001) 0.0047
Infant length (cm), mean (SD) 49.2 (1.9) 49.6 (1.8) 1.13 (1.02–1.25) 0.0235
APGAR 1’ (0–10), mean (SD) 8.9 (0.6) 9.0 (0.2) 1.47 (0.77–2.80) 0.2383
APGAR 5’ (0–10), mean (SD) 9.0 (0.4) 9.0 (0.1) 1.45 (0.52–4.04) 0.4757
Shoulder dystocia, n (%)
 No 755 (99.5) 117 (96.7) Reference --
 Yes 4 (0.5) 4 (3.3) 6.45 (1.59–26.16) 0.0090

The missing data are as follows: parity (n = 224), menstrual cycles (n = 64), nausea (n = 62), contraceptive use (n = 112), current pregnancy (n = 49), labor analgesia (n = 40), postpartum obstetric complications (n = 19), neonatal complications (n = 21), duration of second stage (n = 205), blood loss during delivery (n = 2), placental weight (n = 1), and infant length (n = 5)

CI confidence interval; NRS numerical rating scale; OR odds ratio; SD standard deviation

a Type III p-value

b The subcategories of postpartum obstetric complications were: prolonged labor (n = 63), emergency/crash caesarean delivery (n = 79), failed anesthesia for caesarean section (n = 1), postpartum hemorrhage (n = 5) and others (n = 24)

c The subcategories of neonatal complications were: neonatal infection (n = 2), neonatal reflux (n = 6), hospitalization (n = 11), surgical conditions (n = 2), and others (n = 26)

d Calculated for every 10ml blood loss