Table 1.
Descriptive characteristics of women and events during delivery. Figures are numbers (percentage) of women unless stated otherwise
| Characteristic | Intact/1st degree tear (n=211) | 2nd/3rd/4th degree tear (n=206) | Episiotomy (n=209) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age (completed years): | |||
| <20 | 25 (11.85) | 3 (1.46) | 2 (0.96) |
| 20–24 | 36 (17.06) | 13 (6.31) | 14 (6.70) |
| 25–29 | 56 (26.54) | 64 (31.07) | 60 (28.71) |
| 30–34 | 67 (31.75) | 91 (44.17) | 83 (39.71) |
| ⩾35 | 27 (12.80) | 35 (16.99) | 50 (23.92) |
| Weight* (kg)†: | |||
| <54 | 43 (20.48) | 38 (18.72) | 45 (22.06) |
| 54–61 | 50 (23.81) | 66 (32.51) | 52 (25.49) |
| 62–70 | 57 (27.14) | 58 (28.57) | 68 (33.33) |
| ⩾71 | 60 (28.57) | 41 (20.20) | 39 (19.12) |
| Height (cm)†: | |||
| <160 | 38 (18.10) | 36 (17.56) | 30 (14.42) |
| 160-165 | 65 (30.95) | 60 (29.27) | 57 (27.40) |
| 166-170 | 53 (25.24) | 63 (30.73) | 65 (31.25) |
| ⩾170 | 54 (25.71) | 46 (22.44) | 56 (26.92) |
| Ethnic background: | |||
| White | 147 (69.67) | 166 (80.58) | 188 (89.95) |
| African-American | 33 (15.64) | 6 (2.91) | 4 (1.91) |
| Hispanic | 6 (2.84) | 5 (2.43) | 2 (0.96) |
| Asian | 18 (8.53) | 22 (10.68) | 10 (4.78) |
| Other | 7 (3.32) | 7 (3.40) | 5 (2.39) |
| Education: | |||
| A level or below | 48 (22.75) | 21 (10.20) | 19 (9.10) |
| Technical college | 15 (7.11) | 12 (5.83) | 8 (3.83) |
| University | 95 (45.02) | 94 (45.63) | 103 (49.28) |
| Postgraduate | 53 (25.12) | 79 (38.35) | 79 (37.80) |
| Birth weight (g): | |||
| First quartile | 3090 | 3147 | 3204 |
| Median | 3340 | 3374 | 3487 |
| Third quartile | 3617 | 3714 | 3799 |
| Duration of second stage of labour (minutes): | |||
| First quartile | 28 | 48 | 55 |
| Median | 57 | 81 | 109 |
| Third quartile | 103 | 133 | 173 |
| Instrumental delivery‡ | 7 (3) | 18 (9) | 56 (27) |
| Births with complication of labour§ | 37 (18) | 35 (17) | 55 (26) |
*
Weight at six months postpartum.
†
Numbers do not always add up to total because of missing data.
‡
Forceps or vacuum extractor.
§
Meconium, fetal bradycardia, fetal tachyarrhythmia, deep variable decelerations, pregnancy induced hypertension, chorioamnionitis, rapid rotation and delivery of head, uterine atony, premature rupture of membranes at term, failure to progress, protracted labour, prolonged rupture of membranes, occiput transverse orientation, occiput posterior orientation, protracted descent, macrosomia, mild shoulder dystocia, nuchal cord, placental abruption, retained placenta.