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Does allocation of low risk parturient women to a separate maternity unit decrease the risk of emergency cesarean
Britt-Ingjerd Nesheim1, Anne Eskild, Leif Gjessing
1Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Oslo University Hospital Ulleval, Oslo, Norway. b.i.nesheim@medisin.uio.no
Objective:
To study whether the selection of low risk parturient women into a separate maternity unit leads to a lower risk of emergency cesarean section, compared to giving birth in a unit with mixed cases.
Design:
Hospital based registry study.
Setting:
Maternity units in two university hospitals in Oslo, Norway.
Population:
All low risk parturient women with attempted vaginal deliveries in the years 2001-2003, a total number of 11,686 deliveries.
Methods:
Data were obtained from standardized patient records and risks of cesarean section were estimated as odds ratios.
Main Outcome Measures:
Emergency cesarean section risk.
Results:
Compared with women giving birth in a unit with mixed cases, women giving birth in a maternity unit with low risk cases only had a higher risk of emergency cesarean section (OR 1.4; 95% CI 1.2-1.6).
Conclusions:
Giving birth in a low risk maternity unit is associated with a higher risk of cesarean section for low risk parturient women compared with giving birth in a maternity unit with mixed cases.
