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Table 4 Primary reason for decision to transfer by use of water immersion and by planned place of birth

From: Immersion in water for pain relief and the risk of intrapartum transfer among low risk nulliparous women: secondary analysis of the Birthplace national prospective cohort study

Reasons for decision to transfer

Home n = 4013

FMU n = 4831

AMU n = 7733

 

No immersion

Immersion

No immersion

Immersion

No immersion

Immersion

n = 2002

n = 2011

n = 2216

n = 2615

n = 4807

n = 2926

 

n

%1

n

%1

n

%1

n

%1

n

%1

n

%1

Not transferred

1158

58.7

1159

58.7

1339

62.6

1826

71.5

2847

59.3

1897

64.7

‘Antepartum reasons’*

            

Malposition

3

0.1

2

0.1

4

0.1

4

0.1

15

0.2

7

0.2

Malpresentation

13

0.6

6

0.3

13

0.5

2

0.1

24

0.4

5

0.2

Failure to progress (1st stage)

236

11.0

224

10.9

212

8.8

216

7.4

410

8.3

250

8.3

Fetal distress (1st stage)

45

2.4

28

1.4

97

4.5

38

1.5

154

3.1

47

1.8

Meconium staining

102

5.3

71

3.2

133

5.5

72

2.6

236

4.8

88

2.8

Epidural request

64

3.1

61

2.9

69

2.9

64

2.1

296

6.7

124

4.8

Hypertension

8

0.4

7

0.3

18

1.0

4

0.1

32

0.6

5

0.4

Pain relief

22

1.2

26

1.2

4

0.1

0

-

1

<0.1

3

0.1

Antepartum haemorrhage

15

0.7

7

0.4

20

0.9

5

0.2

39

0.8

11

0.4

Failure to progress (2nd stage)

113

5.5

158

7.8

137

5.3

167

5.5

322

6.5

235

7.7

Fetal distress (2nd stage)

15

0.7

13

0.6

12

0.6

15

0.5

62

1.2

41

1.4

Other maternal

22

1.1

22

1.0

13

0.6

5

0.2

49

1.0

13

0.4

Other fetal

7

0.4

6

0.3

8

0.4

5

0.2

14

0.3

5

0.2

Other

11

0.5

5

0.3

9

0.3

2

0.1

15

0.2

8

0.3

Reason not recorded

2

0.1

3

0.2

10

0.5

4

0.1

29

0.9

11

0.3

Postpartum transfers

            

Postpartum haemorrhage

26

1.3

24

1.2

10

0.5

25

1.0

29

0.9

22

0.8

Retained placenta

29

1.4

47

2.3

36

1.8

41

1.6

53

1.0

37

1.1

Repair of perineal trauma

86

4.2

113

5.4

55

2.4

84

3.4

156

3.1

97

3.5

Other maternal

5

0.2

5

0.2

2

0.1

8

0.2

1

<0.1

4

0.1

Neonatal concerns

16

0.8

20

0.9

11

0.5

20

0.8

1

<0.1

1

0.1

Other

1

<0.1

3

0.2

1

<0.1

1

<0.1

10

0.2

4

0.2

Transferred (timing & reason not known)

3

0.2

1

0.1

3

0.1

7

0.9

12

0.4

11

0.4

  1. 1Weighted percent.
  2. *13 transfers for ‘antepartum reasons ‘occurred after the birth (9 for ‘meconium staining’ and 5 for ‘fetal distress, 2nd stage’).