Table 1.

Characteristics and delivery interventions (%) among the primiparous (n = 73,813) and multiparous women (n = 94,824) with singleton vaginal delivery in University Hospitals between 1997 and 2007 in Finland (Chi Square test/Kruskall Wallis test).

CHARACTERISTICS/INTERVENTIONS	Hospital A	Hospital B	Hospital C	Hospital D	Hospital E	p value	Pooled
PRIMIPAROUS, n = 73, 813	19, 185	12, 486	17, 749	15, 974	8, 419
Obstetric anal sphincter injuries (OASIS), n (%)	147 (0.8)	127 (1.0)	193 (1.1)	343 (2.1)	56 (0.7)	≤0.001	1.2
Birth weight >4,000 g	13.2	12.6	13.0	13.4	11.7	0.002	12.9
Mean (± SD) length of active second stage of birth (min)	34 ± 31	32 ± 28	92 ± 76	74 ± 61	21 ± 18	≤0.001	45 ± 48
Episiotomy	75.5	64.2	59.2	51.1	49.4	≤0.001	61.4
Vacuum assistance	15.3	15.8	15.9	15.4	10.6	≤0.001	15.0
Amniotomy	49.8	55.2	48.8	31.2	42.4	≤0.001	45.6
Augmentation with oxytocin	75.5	65.2	49.7	53.8	37.7	≤0.001	58.6
Epidural analgesia	62.7	65.7	64.3	78.6	73.7	≤0.001	68.3
Paracervical block	29	24.1	1.0	6.3	10.7	≤0.001	14.4
*Caesarean section	17.7	21.4	31.4	19.0	23.0	≤0.001	22.9
MULTIPAROUS, n = 94, 824	23, 746	21, 291	20, 628	18, 032	11, 127
OASIS, n (%)	33 (0.1)	30 (0.1)	52 (0.3)	61 (0.3)	13 (0.1)	≤0.001	0.2
Birth weight >4000 g	24.3	22.3	21.7	24.0	22.2	≤0.001	23.0
Mean (± SD)length of active second stage of birth (min)	11 ± 13	9 ± 12	36 ± 44	21 ± 28	11 ± 11	≤0.001	13 ± 20
Episiotomy	15.2	8.6	20.4	6.5	10.3	≤0.001	12.6
Vacuum assistance	2.5	2.0	2.6	2.1	1.9	≤0.001	2.3
Amniotomy	53.6	60.0	52.3	34.9	43.9	≤0.001	50.1
Augmentation with oxytocin	37.6	35.1	33.8	23.3	20.5	≤0.001	31.5
Epidural analgesia	19.6	14.9	47.5	34.1	26.8	≤0.001	28.2
Paracervical block	44.8	41.6	2.8	25.8	26.2	≤0.001	29.2
*Caesarean section	8.0	9.5	15.7	8.8	12.1	≤0.001	10.7

*Cesarean section rates of each hospital are also given during the same period of time