Table 2.

Frequency of Maternal and Neonatal Characteristics by Mode of Delivery for Singleton Live Births to Nulliparous Women, New York City, 1995–2003 (Entire Study Population)

	Forceps-Assisted Vaginal Delivery Only (n=15,458)	Vacuum-Assisted Vaginal Delivery Only (n=18,024)	Cesarean Delivery Only (n=87,059)
Maternal age (y)
Younger than 20	8.6	9.7	8.4
20–35	73.5	76.7	71.5
35 or older	18.0	13.6	20.1
Mother’s race or ethnicity
White, non-Hispanic	41.8	33.6	30.4
African American, non-Hispanic	10.8	14.9	26.5
Hispanic	27.8	28.2	32.0
Asian or Pacific Islander	18.5	22.5	10.6
Other	1.1	0.8	0.6
Maternal education
High school or less	43.5	49.4	46.2
More than high school	56.5	50.6	53.8
Primary payer
Medicaid	41.4	45.2	42.6
Health maintenance organization	13.6	15.3	15.6
Third party	40.0	36.1	38.4
Self-pay	5.0	3.3	3.4
Prepregnancy weight (lb)
99 or less	4.1	5.1	2.8
100–149	77.2	75.6	61.7
150–199	22.7	17.1	27.5
200 or more	2.0	2.2	8.0
Diabetes*	5.5	4.8	7.8
Small for gestational age†	14.0	13.7	13.0
Gestational age at delivery (wk)
34 to less than 37	3.8	3.7	5.1
37 to less than 40	41.5	43.6	39.1
At least 40	54.7	52.7	55.8

Data are %.

^*Includes pregestational and gestational diabetes.

^†P values were calculated for forceps-assisted vaginal delivery and vacuum-assisted vaginal delivery compared with cesarean delivery and for forceps-assisted vaginal delivery compared with vacuum-assisted vaginal delivery using the χ² statistic. All P values were statistically significant at a P value <.01, except for the frequency of small-for-gestational-age neonates in the forceps-assisted vaginal delivery compared with vacuum-assisted vaginal delivery groups (P=.41). In multivariable analysis, all characteristics listed in this table were adjusted, except small for gestational age in the forceps-assisted vaginal delivery compared with vacuum-assisted vaginal delivery analysis.