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[Deliveries during transportation and shortly after admission to hospital]
Background:
The community midwife services in Oppland county are under review. Many pregnant women live far from hospital. This is a study of the occurrence of deliveries during transport to hospital.
Material And Methods:
We used hospital records to identify women who had given birth during transport in Oppland county in the period 1989-97. We mailed a questionnaire to these and to 100 women who had given birth shortly after arrival at Lillehammer hospital in 1996-97.
Results:
133 women gave birth to 133 children during transport in Oppland 1989-97. This amounts to 0.69% of all births in the county. One child died during birth. A midwife assisted 71% of the women. However, only one third of these midwives had been on call at the time. Most women gave birth at night, and had their second child.
Interpretation:
Deliveries during transport are inevitable and mostly uncomplicated. Midwives on call may provide qualified assistance during transport when the delivery is imminent.