Association between Birth Plan Use and Maternal and Neonatal Outcomes in Southern Spain: A Case-Control Study

Area of Science:

• Obstetrics
• Neonatal Care
• Public Health

Background:

• Birth plans are tools for pregnant women to communicate childbirth preferences.
• This study investigates the impact of birth plans on obstetric and neonatal outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare obstetric and neonatal outcomes between women who used birth plans and those who did not.
• To evaluate the influence of birth plans on the childbirth experience.

Main Methods:

• A multicentre, retrospective case-control study involving 457 low-risk, full-term pregnant women.
• Data collected between 2009-2013 at tertiary hospitals in southern Spain.
• Analysis of sociodemographic, obstetric, and neonatal variables.

Main Results:

• Women with birth plans were older, more educated, and more often primiparous.
• Primiparous women with birth plans had fewer Cesarean sections (18% vs. 29%) and better neonatal outcomes (1-min Apgar, umbilical cord pH, resuscitation).
• No significant differences were observed in instrumental births, severe tears, or episiotomy rates, nor in multiparous women's outcomes.

Conclusions:

• Birth plans are associated with reduced interventions and a more natural birth process.
• Birth plans can enhance maternal and newborn welfare, promoting a more natural childbirth.
• The study suggests birth plans positively impact specific maternal and neonatal outcomes, particularly for first-time mothers.