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. 2019 Mar 22;21(3):e10335. doi: 10.2196/10335

Table 2.

Birth-related characteristics and birth outcomes of women having planned births at home or in a freestanding midwifery unit.

Characteristics Delivery location Relative risk (95% CI) Z F (df1,df2) P value

At home (n=321) In a freestanding midwifery unit (n=103) Overall (N=424)



Birth-related







Gestational age (weeks), median (IQRa) 40 (1) 40 (1) 40 (1)
0.75
.45

Birthweight (g), mean (SD) 3419.6 (451.4) 3397.1 (392.8) 3414.1 (437.3)

1.32 (312,102) .22

Small for gestational age, n (%)








Yes 23 (7.2) 14 (13.6) 37 (8.7) 0.81 (0.62-1.04)




No 298 (92.8) 89 (86.4) 387 (91.3) Reference



Position in delivering, n (%)








Lying down 46 (14.3) 30 (29.1) 76 (17.9) 0.94 (0.75-1.17)




Squatting 75 (23.4) 41 (39.8) 116 (27.4) Reference




Kneeling 18 (5.6) 1 (1.0) 19 (4.5) 1.47 (1.23-1.74)




On all fours 130 (40.5) 16 (15.5) 146 (34.4) 1.38 (1.19-1.59)




On the side 32 (10.0) 15 (14.6) 47 (11.1) 1.05 (0.83-1.34)




Others 20 (6.2) 0 20 (4.7) b


Number of midwives at delivery, n (%)







1 23 (7.2) 1 (1.0) 24 (5.7) 1.29 (1.16-1.42)




≥2 298 (92.8) 102 (99.0) 400 (94.3) Reference



Cord clamping (min), mean (SD) 84.2 (106.7) 88.8 (44.8) 85.3 (95.4)

1.25 (224,71) .18

Uterotonic agent use, n (%)








Yes 98 (30.5) 45 (43.7) 143 (24.3) 1.43 (1.09-1.88)




No 223 (69.5) 58 (56.3) 281 (75.7) Reference



Lotus, n (%)








Yes 76 (23.7) 27 (26.2) 103 (24.3) 0.97 (0.85-1.10)




No 245 (76.3) 76 (73.8) 321 (75.7) Reference



Exclusive breastfeeding at 10 days, n (%)







Yes 314 (93.7) 100 (97.1) 414 (94.6) Reference




No 7 (2.2) 3 (2.9) 10 (2.4) 0.92 (0.61-1.39)


Birth outcomes







Postpartum hemorrhage, n (%)








≤500 mL 292 (91.0) 97 (94.2) 389 (91.7) Reference




>500 mL 29 (9.0) 6 (5.8) 35 (8.3) 1.61 (0.65-3.98)



Perineal tear (degree), n (%)








None 171 (53.3) 57 (55.3) 228 (53.8) Reference




First 103 (32.1) 33 (32.0) 136 (32.1) 1.01 (0.89-1.74)




Second 45 (14.0) 12 (11.7) 57 (13.4) 1.05 (0.90-1.23)




Third 0 0 0



Fourth 0 0 0


Mother’s postpartum hospitalization (within 1 week of delivery), n 1 0 1


Newborn’s hospitalization (within 1 week of birth), n 8 0 8

aIQR: interquartile range.

bCannot be calculated because the frequency is 0.