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. 2010 Oct 6;341:c5065. doi: 10.1136/bmj.c5065

Table 1.

 Unadjusted rates of caesarean section according to maternal characteristics and clinical risk factors

Prevalence (%) Number of women who underwent caesarean section Rate of caesarean sections
Singleton pregnancies 620 604 147 726 24%
Maternal characteristics
Age (years)
 Under 20 39 974 (6) 5304 13%
 20-24 121 182 (20) 20 709 17%
 25-29 170 161 (27) 36 691 22%
 30-35 168 011 (27) 44 915 27%
 Over 35 121 276 (20) 40 107 33%
Ethnicity
 White 428 286 (69) 100 662 24%
 Afro-Caribbean 36 548 (6) 10 892 30%
 Asian 63 258 (10) 15 328 24%
 Other 24 198 (4) 5863 24%
 Unknown 68 314 (11) 14 981 22%
Level of socioeconomic deprivation
 1 (least deprived) 96 144 (15) 25 138 26%
 2 98 383 (16) 25 149 26%
 3 111 434 (18) 27 329 25%
 4 135 461 (22) 31 414 23%
 5 (most deprived) 179 182 (29) 38 696 22%
Clinical risk factors
Parity
 Nulliparous 312 722 (50) 78 176 25%
 Multiparous: no previous caesarean section 241 824 (39) 22 802 9%
 Multiparous: previous caesarean section 66 058 (11) 46 748 71%
Breech 21 869 (4) 19 636 90%
Fetal distress 137 603 (22) 45 482 33%
Dystocia 110 233 (18) 44 548 40%
Pre-existing diabetes mellitus 3072 (0.5) 1856 60%
Pre-existing hypertension 2523 (0.4) 1067 42%
Gestational diabetes mellitus 12 065 (1.9) 5074 42%
Eclampsia or pre-eclampsia 11 680 (1.9) 6005 51%
Placenta praevia or placental abruption 5902 (1.0) 5003 85%
Preterm delivery 29 619 (4.8) 11 158 38%