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% |