Maternal morbidity of women receiving birth center care in New South Wales: a matched-pair analysis using linked health data

Laws, PJ; Xu, F; Welsh, A; Tracy, SK; Sullivan, EA

Maternal morbidity of women receiving birth center care in New South Wales: a matched-pair analysis using linked health data

Laws, PJ Xu, F

Welsh, A Tracy, SK Sullivan, EA

Permalink

Publication Type:: Journal Article
Citation:: Birth (Berkeley, Calif.), 2014, 41 (3), pp. 268 - 275
Issue Date:: 2014-09-01

Closed Access

	Filename	Description	Size
	Laws_et_al-2014-Birth.pdf	Published Version	99.52 kB	Adobe PDF	View/Open

Copyright Clearance Process

Recently Added
In Progress
Closed Access

This item is closed access and not available.

Full metadata record

Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Laws, PJ	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Xu, F https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8465-5834	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Welsh, A	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Tracy, SK	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Sullivan, EA https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8718-2753	en_US
dc.date.available	2014-03-24	en_US
dc.date.issued	2014-09-01	en_US
dc.identifier.citation	Birth (Berkeley, Calif.), 2014, 41 (3), pp. 268 - 275	en_US
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/115525
dc.description.abstract	© 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. BACKGROUND: Around 2 percent of women who give birth in Australia each year do so in a birth center. New South Wales, Australia's largest state, accounts for almost half of these births. Previous studies have highlighted the need for better quality data on maternal morbidity and mortality, to fully evaluate the safety of birth center care.AIMS: This study aimed to examine maternal morbidity related to birth center care for women in New South Wales.METHODS: A retrospective cohort study with matched-pairs was conducted using linked health data for New South Wales. Maternal outcomes were compared for women who intended to give birth in a birth center, matched with women who intended to give birth in the co-located hospital labor ward.RESULTS: Rates of maternal outcomes, including postpartum hemorrhage, retained placenta, and postpartum infection, were significantly lower in the birth center group, after controlling for demographic and institutional factors. Interventions such as cesarean section and episiotomy were also significantly lower in these women, and the rate of breastfeeding at discharge was higher. There existed no difference in length of stay, admission to ICU, or maternal mortality.CONCLUSIONS: Birth centers are a safe option for low-risk women; however, further research is required for some rare maternal outcomes.	en_US
dc.relation.ispartof	Birth (Berkeley, Calif.)	en_US
dc.relation.isbasedon	10.1111/birt.12114	en_US
dc.subject.classification	Obstetrics & Reproductive Medicine	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Humans	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Pregnancy Complications	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Postpartum Hemorrhage	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Placenta, Retained	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Pregnancy Outcome	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Episiotomy	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Morbidity	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Matched-Pair Analysis	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Retrospective Studies	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Cohort Studies	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Breast Feeding	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Pregnancy	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Adult	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Birthing Centers	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	New South Wales	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Female	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Young Adult	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Health Records, Personal	en_US
dc.title	Maternal morbidity of women receiving birth center care in New South Wales: a matched-pair analysis using linked health data	en_US
dc.type	Journal Article
utslib.citation.volume	3	en_US
utslib.citation.volume	41	en_US
utslib.for	1117 Public Health and Health Services	en_US
utslib.for	11 Medical and Health Sciences	en_US
pubs.embargo.period	Not known	en_US
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Health
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Health/Midwifery
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Health/Public Health
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Strength - CHSP - Health Services and Practice
utslib.copyright.status	closed_access
pubs.issue	3	en_US
pubs.publication-status	Published	en_US
pubs.volume	41	en_US

Abstract:

© 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. BACKGROUND: Around 2 percent of women who give birth in Australia each year do so in a birth center. New South Wales, Australia's largest state, accounts for almost half of these births. Previous studies have highlighted the need for better quality data on maternal morbidity and mortality, to fully evaluate the safety of birth center care.AIMS: This study aimed to examine maternal morbidity related to birth center care for women in New South Wales.METHODS: A retrospective cohort study with matched-pairs was conducted using linked health data for New South Wales. Maternal outcomes were compared for women who intended to give birth in a birth center, matched with women who intended to give birth in the co-located hospital labor ward.RESULTS: Rates of maternal outcomes, including postpartum hemorrhage, retained placenta, and postpartum infection, were significantly lower in the birth center group, after controlling for demographic and institutional factors. Interventions such as cesarean section and episiotomy were also significantly lower in these women, and the rate of breastfeeding at discharge was higher. There existed no difference in length of stay, admission to ICU, or maternal mortality.CONCLUSIONS: Birth centers are a safe option for low-risk women; however, further research is required for some rare maternal outcomes.

Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item:

http://hdl.handle.net/10453/115525