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. 2013 Aug 30;13:167. doi: 10.1186/1471-2393-13-167

Table 2.

Key maternal and neonatal indicators by Indigenous status

Indicator Definition Indigenous
 Non-Indigenous
 Difference
N n % N n % % 95% CI
Gestation at birtha
 < 32 weeks
 1,499
 51
 3.4
 42,810
 892
 2.1
 1.3
 0.4
 2.2*
< 37 weeks
 1,499
 191
 12.7
 42,810
 3,787
 8.9
 3.9
 2.2
 5.6*
Onset of laboura
 Spontaneous
 1,499
 1,027
 68.5
 42,805
 27,154
 63.5
 5.1
 2.7
 7.5*
Induced
 298
 19.9
 9,931
 23.2
 −3.3
 −5.4
 −1.3*
No labour - CS
 174
 11.6
 5,720
 13.4
 −1.8
 −3.4
 −0.1*
Analgesiaa
 Inhalational
 1,380
 649
 47.0
 39,365
 18,263
 46.4
 0.6
 −2.0
 3.3
Opioid
 1,380
 368
 26.7
 39,365
 9,031
 22.9
 3.7
 1.4
 6.1*
Epidural
 1,380
 287
 20.8
 39,365
 10,754
 27.3
 −6.5
 −8.7
 −4.3*
Five min Apgar scoreb
 < 7
 1,520
 36
 2.4
 43,612
 917
 2.1
 0.3
 −0.5
 1.0
Method of birthb
 Non-instrumental vaginal
 1,516
 1,039
 68.5
 43,460
 27,079
 62.3
 6.2
 3.8
 8.6*
Forceps
 16
 1.1
 989
 2.3
 −1.2
 −1.8
 −0.7*
Vacuum
 69
 4.6
 3,102
 7.1
 −2.6
 −3.7
 −1.5*
Caesarean section
 392
 25.9
 12,290
 28.3
 −2.4
 −4.7
 −0.2*
VBACa
 Vaginal birth, parity 1, previous CS; singleton cephalic term
 52
 8
 15.4
 2,150
 457
 21.3
 −5.9
 −15.8
 4.1
Perineal traumac
 Intact or 1st degree tear
 1,320
 1,146
 86.8
 37,005
 28,072
 75.9
 11.0
 9.1
 12.8*
2nd degree tear
 153
 11.6
 6,072
 16.4
 −7.2
 −8.8
 −5.6*
3rd or 4th degree tear
 52
 3.9
 2,861
 7.7
 −3.8
 −4.9
 −2.7*
Episiotomy
 1,319
 73
 5.5
 36,995
 3,705
 10.0
 −4.5
 −5.8
 −3.2*
SGAb
 < 10th centile
 1,476
 207
 14.0
 41,934
 4,115
 9.8
 4.2
 2.4
 6.0*
Low birth weightb
 < 2500 g
 1,523
 201
 13.2
 43,691
 3,586
 8.2
 5.0
 3.3
 6.7*
Perinatal outcomeb
 Stillbirth
 1,523
 12
 0.8
 43,693
 298
 0.7
 0.1
 −0.3
 0.6
Neonatal death
 13
 0.9
 224
 0.5
 0.3
 −0.1
 0.8
(Perinatal deaths)
 25
 1.6
 522
 1.2
 0.4
 −0.2
 0.1
Survived
 1,498
 98.4
 43,171
 98.8
  
  
  
Admission to NCCUb
  
 1,523
 280
 18.4
 43,693
 6,004
 13.7
 4.6
 2.7
 6.6*
Length of stay
 Maternal < 3 daysa
 1,492
 985
 66.0
 42,655
 24,892
 58.4
 7.7
 5.2
 10.1*
Neonate in NCCU > 7 daysb
 1,523
 41
 2.7
 43,693
 683
 1.6
 1.1
 0.3
 2.0*
Feeding at dischargeb Breast milk
 1,385 959
 69.2
 40,881 31,192
 76.3
 −7.1
 −9.5
 −4.6*
Breast & formula
 92
 6.6
 3,688
 9.0
 −2.4
 −3.7
 −1.0*
Formula
 315
 22.7
 5,730
 14.0
 8.7
 6.5
 11.0*
Gavage
 19
 1.4
 218
 0.5
 0.8
 0.2
 1.5
Other 0 0.0 53 0.1 −0.1 −0.2 −0.001*

*Statistically significant. CS caesarean section; VBAC vaginal birth after caesarean; NCCU Neonatal Critical Care Unit; SGA small for gestational age.

a Data 1998–2009. Total Indigenous pregnancies n = 1,499, total non-Indigenous pregnancies n = 42,810.

b Data 1998–2009. Total Indigenous births n = 1,523, total non-Indigenous births n = 43,693.

c Data excluding CS with no labour. Total Indigenous pregnancies n = 1,325, total non-Indigenous births n = 37,085.