Table 2.
Policies for management of the third stage of labour after vaginal birth in maternity units from 14 European countries
| All units replying, n | Timing of cutting and clamping cord | Controlled cord traction, n(%) | Administration of prophylactic uterotonics, n (%) | Active management,** n (%) | Draining the placenta, n (%) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Immediately after birth, n (%) | After the cord stops pulsating, n (%) | Other and not stated,* n (%) | ||||||
| Austria | 33 | 5 (15) | 23 (70) | 5 (15) | 7 (21) | 18 (55) | 1 (3) | 1 (3) |
| Belgium | 105 | 92 (88) | 11 (10) | 2 (2) | 45 (43) | 93 (89) | 36 (34) | 34 (32) |
| Denmark | 23 | 4 (17) | 17 (74) | 2 (9) | 5 (22) | 13 (57) | 2 (9) | 1 (4) |
| Finland | 33 | 9 (27) | 23 (70) | 1 (3) | 7 (21) | 29 (88) | 4 (12) | 2 (6) |
| France | 109 | 98 (90) | 7 (6) | 4 (4) | 24 (22) | 104 (95) | 22 (20) | 7 (6) |
| Hungary | 98 | 20 (20) | 66 (67) | 12 (12) | 12 (12) | 89 (91) | 5 (5) | 3 (3) |
| Ireland | 22 | 16 (73) | 5 (23) | 1 (5) | 21 (95) | 22 (100) | 17 (77) | 3 (14) |
| Italy | 215 | 142 (66) | 43 (20) | 30 (14) | 28 (13) | 197 (92) | 20 (9) | 14 (7) |
| Netherlands | 91 | 67 (74) | 21 (23) | 3 (3) | 41 (45) | 86 (95) | 33 (36) | 0 (0) |
| Norway | 46 | 11 (24) | 30 (65) | 5 (11) | 18 (39) | 33 (72) | 5 (11) | 7 (15) |
| Portugal | 37 | 33 (89) | 1 (3) | 3 (8) | 19 (51) | 31 (84) | 13 (35) | 9 (24) |
| Spain | 53 | 40 (75) | 7 (13) | 6 (11) | 13 (25) | 45 (85) | 7 (13) | 8 (15) |
| Switzerland | 68 | 47 (69) | 10 (15) | 11 (16) | 31 (46) | 60 (88) | 25 (37) | 2 (3) |
| UK | 242 | 186 (77) | 31 (13) | 25 (10) | 210 (87) | 232 (96) | 182 (75) | 8 (3) |
*
A few units had more than one ‘usual’ policy or had a policy of cutting the cord ‘at another time’.
**
Usually cut the cord immediately after birth or after the cord stops pulsating, perform ‘controlled cord traction’ and administer prophylactic uterotonics.