Table 1.
Comparison of intrapartum and neonatal characteristics among spontaneous vaginal delivery and Caesarean or assisted delivery (N = 915)
| Characteristics | Entire sample (N = 915) | Spontaneous vaginal birth (n = 737) | Caesarean or assisted birth (n = 178) | p value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mode of delivery | ||||
| Spontaneous vaginal birth | 737 (80.5%) | 737 (100.0%) | — | — |
| Assisted birth (vacuum or forceps) | 43 (4.7%) | — | 43 (24.2%) | — |
| Planned Caesarean birth | 60 (6.6%) | — | 60 (33.7%) | — |
| Emergency Caesarean birth | 75 (8.2%) | — | 75 (42.1%) | — |
| Intrapartum characteristics | ||||
| Pethidine analgesia | ||||
| Yes | 67 (7.3%) | 62 (8.4%) | 5 (2.8%) | .01b, * |
| No | 848 (92.7%) | 675 (91.6%) | 173 (97.2%) | |
| Epidural analgesia | ||||
| Yes | 399 (43.6%) | 317 (43.0%) | 82 (46.1%) | .461b |
| No | 516 (56.4%) | 420 (57.0%) | 96 (53.9%) | |
| Duration of labour (hr), M (SD) | 6.42 (3.91) | 6.16 (3.93) | 7.48 (3.64) | <.001a, *** |
| Intrapartum complications | ||||
| Yes | 34 (3.7%) | 23 (3.1%) | 11 (6.2%) | .053b |
| No | 881 (96.3%) | 714 (96.9%) | 167 (93.8%) | |
| Neonatal characteristics | ||||
| Gestation (days), M (SD) | 273.08 (8.96) | 273.04 (9.05) | 273.26 (8.64) | .768a |
| Sex | ||||
| Male | 464 (50.7%) | 373 (50.6%) | 91 (51.1%) | .902b |
| Female | 451 (49.3%) | 364 (49.4%) | 87 (48.9%) | |
| Apgar score at 1 min | ||||
| ≥7 | 904 (98.8%) | 731 (99.2%) | 173 (97.2%) | .028b, * |
| <7 | 11 (1.2%) | 6 (0.8%) | 5 (2.8%) | |
| Apgar score at 5 min | ||||
| ≥7 | 915 (100%) | 737 (80.5%) | 178 (19.4%) | — |
| <7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Birthweight (g), M (SD) | 3,128.65 (408.88) | 3,118.31 (402.13) | 3,171.44 (434.29) | .139a |
| Baby in NICU | ||||
| Yes | 387 (42.3%) | 302 (41.0%) | 85 (47.8%) | .101b |
| No | 528 (57.7%) | 435 (59.0%) | 93 (52.2%) | |
| Skin‐to‐skin contacts | ||||
| Immediate skin‐to‐skin contacts | ||||
| Yes | 769 (84.0%) | 677 (91.9%) | 92 (51.7%) | <.001b, *** |
| No | 146 (16.0%) | 60 (8.1%) | 86 (48.3%) | |
| Breastfeeding characteristics | ||||
| Early breastfeeding initiation | ||||
| Yes | 821 (89.7%) | 692 (93.9%) | 129 (72.5%) | <.001b, *** |
| No | 94 (10.3%) | 45 (6.1%) | 49 (27.5%) | |
Note. NICU = neonatal intensive care unit; — = cannot perform chi‐square test.
a
Independent t test.
b
Chi‐square test.
*
p < .05.
**
p < .01.
***
p < .001.