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Table 4 Birth in a private hospital and obstetric outcomes for low risk primiparous Australian-born and migrant women, N=124,431

From: Rates of obstetric intervention during birth and selected maternal and perinatal outcomes for low risk women born in Australia compared to those born overseas

 

Australia

New Zealand

England

China

Vietnam

Lebanon

Philippines

India

Other

P

 

n=88 437

n=2 663

n=2 361

n=2 915

n=3 123

n=1 727

n=1 689

n=1 959

n=19 557

 

Birth in a private hospital

27.4%

14.4%

21.1%

10.7%

10.1%

8.9%

12.1%

16.1%

19.2%

<0.0001

Spontaneous labour

52.1%

57.8%

55.1%

54.2%

59.3%

59.2%

58.3%

46.4%

53.8%

<0.0001

Normal vaginal delivery

58.4%

64.5%

57.7%

56.6%

65.2%

75.2%

56.7%

51.4%

59.5%

<0.0001

Assisted vaginal delivery

20.8%

18.5%

21.6%

24.6%

21.5%

15.0%

20.6%

26.0%

21.2%

<0.0001

Caesarean section (elective)

4.6%

3.0%

4.2%

3.6%

2.4%

1.4%

3.7%

3.8%

4.5%

<0.0001

Caesarean section (emergency)

16.0%

13.9%

16.4%

15.1%

10.9%

8.4%

19.0%

18.9%

14.8%

<0.0001

Stillbirth per 1000 births*

1.7/1000

3.0/1000

2.1/1000

1.4/1000

1.0/1000

2.3/1000

1.2/1000

2.6/1000

1.5/1000

0.59

Neonatal death per 1000 live births*

0.3/1000

0.0/1000

0.4/1000

0.7/1000

0.3/1000

1.2/1000

0.6/1000

1.0/1000

0.3/1000

0.56

5 minute Apgar <7

1.5%

1.3%

1.6%

0.9%

1.8%

1.6%

1.1%

1.5%

1.4%

0.21

Epidural usage

38.2%

33.5%

42.8%

35.8%

17.4%

22.1%

34.6%

41.2%

37.7%

<0.0001

No pain relief for labour

4.4%

6.2%

4.4%

2.6%

3.1%

5.5%

3.8%

1.9%

3.9%

<0.0001

Episiotomy #

24.9%

18.8%

22.7%

31.0%

41.8%

22.5%

29.8%

39.7%

29.1%

<0.0001

Severe perineal trauma)#

1.6

1.5

1.8

1.8

1.3%

1.1%

1.7%

0.9%

1.5%

0.34

  1. *Following removal of those with congenital abnormalities.
  2. #For severe perineal trauma and episiotomy caesarean sections were removed for analysis.