Table 1.
Background characteristics. Comparison of al included women for the in-depth analyses from the high- and low-volume months (250 vaginal births from each month and all caesarean sections). When comparing background characteristics between women with vaginal births and caesarean sections in each of the study months, no significant differences were found, and they are here presented together
| High-volume month August 2017 |
Low-volume month November 2017 | p-valuea | |
|---|---|---|---|
| n (%) | n (%) | ||
| Of all women | (n = 358) | (n = 332) | |
| Age | |||
| < 20 years old | 25 (7.1) | 29 (8.8) | I 0.801 |
| 20–29 years old | 153 (43.2) | 146 (44.2) | I |
| 30–39 years old | 158 (44.6) | 138 (41.8) | I |
| ≥ 40 years old | 18 (5.1) | 17 (5.2) | I |
| Information missing | 4 (-) | 2 (-) | |
| Parity | |||
| 0 | 140 (39.1) | 106 (31.9) | I 0.064 |
| 1–4 | 161 (44.9) | 178 (53.6) | I |
| ≥ 5 | 57 (15.9) | 48 (14.5) | I |
| Information missing | 0 (-) | 0 (-) | |
| Singleton/multiple gestations | |||
| Singletons | 351 (98.0) | 324 (97.6) | I 0.683 |
| Multiple gestations | 7 (2.0) | 8 (2.4) | I |
| Information missing | 0 (-) | 0 (-) | |
| Gestational age | |||
| Extremely preterm (week 28–33) | 19 (5.5) | 18 (5.5) | I 0.182 |
| Preterm (week 34–36) | 27 (7.8) | 42 (12.7) | I |
| Term (37–41 weeks) | 291 (84.3) | 265 (80.3) | I |
| Post term (≥ 42 weeks) | 8 (2.3) | 5 (1.5) | I |
| Information missing | 13 (-) | 2 (-) | |
| Antenatal care | |||
| ≥ 1 visit | 137 (43.6) | 152 (52.2) | I 0.034ψ |
| Not attended | 177 (56.4) | 139 (47.8) | I |
| Information missing | 44 (-) | 41 (-) | |
| Obstetric risk factors in current pregnancy | |||
| Pre-eclampsia | 34 (9.5) | 30 (9.1) | I 0.478 |
| Eclampsia | 2 (0.6) | 4 (1.2) | I |
| Premature rupture of membrane | 38 (10.6) | 52 (15.8) | I |
| Ante-partum haemorrhage | 12 (3.4) | 11 (3.3) | I |
| Fever | 1 (0.3) | 2 (0.6) | I |
| Otherb | 27 (7.5) | 23 (7.0) | I |
| None | 244 (68.2) | 208 (63.0) | I |
| Information missing | 0 (-) | 2 (-) | |
| Of women with parity ≥ 1 | (n = 218) | (n = 226) | |
| Obstetric history | |||
| Previous death of child/childrenc | 53 (26.5) | 54 (24.5) | 0.646 |
| 1 previous caesarean section | 30 (13.8) | 35 (15.5) | I 0.409 |
| ≥ 2 previous caesarean sections | 22 (10.1) | 15 (6.6) | I |
| Of all women | (n = 358) | (n = 332) | |
| Progress on admission | |||
| Before active phase of labourd | 60 (20.0) | 55 (19.3) | I 0.683 |
| First stage of active phase of labour | 197 (65.7) | 180 (63.6) | I |
| Second stage of labour | 43 (14.3) | 48 (17.0) | I |
| Information missing | 58 (-) | 49 (-) | |
| Referrals after failed trial of labour at home | |||
| Referralse | 24 (6.7) | 25 (7.6) | I 0.665 |
ψ p-value < 0.05
aFisher exact test
b Other obstetric risk factors: Polyhydramnios (23); Oligohydramnios (14); Suspected chorionamnitis (3); Foetal malformation (1); Bicorn uterus (1); Diabetes (3); Prolonged labour and haematuria prior to admission (1); Hypothyroidism (2); Anaemia (1); First twin delivered prior to admission second still intrauterine (1)
cDocumentation was insufficient to differentiate perinatal deaths from deaths later in life
dCervical dilation < 4 cm
e30 of all 34 women with failed trial of labour at home (88.2%) had received unregulated oxytocin or misoprostol (15/49 missing information regarding prior augmentation)