Labour and delivery characteristics of women who gave birth in British Columbia, 2005–2010, by location of residence
| Characteristic | Residence; no. (%) of women | p value | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rural area* n = 25 855 | Urban area* n = 230 365 | ||
| Gestational age at delivery, wk | < 0.01 | ||
| 20–23 | 138 (0.5) | 1446 (0.6) | |
| 24–31 | 258 (1.0) | 2426 (1.1) | |
| 32–36 | 2031 (7.9) | 17 520 (7.6) | |
| 37–41 | 22 997 (88.9) | 205 906 (89.4) | |
| 42–43 | 431 (1.7) | 3067 (1.3) | |
| Premature rupture of membranes for > 24 h | 1601 (6.2) | 16 380 (7.1) | < 0.01 |
| Onset of labour | < 0.01 | ||
| No labour | 3150 (12.2) | 33 269 (14.4) | |
| Spontaneous | 17 088 (66.1) | 148 455 (64.4) | |
| Induced | 5612 (21.7) | 48 577 (21.1) | |
| Labour augmentation | 9206 (35.6) | 88 316 (38.3) | < 0.01 |
| Cesarean delivery | 7012 (27.1) | 70 282 (30.5) | < 0.01 |
| Elective cesarean delivery | 2630 (10.2) | 26 459 (11.5) | < 0.01 |
| Vaginal delivery† | 18 843 (72.9) | 160 083 (69.5) | < 0.01 |
| Forceps | 421 (1.6) | 8678 (3.8) | < 0.01 |
| Vacuum | 1686 (6.5) | 17 416 (7.6) | < 0.01 |
| Vaginal delivery after prior cesarean delivery | |||
| Successful | 767 (3.0) | 5740 (2.5) | < 0.01 |
| Failed‡ | 322 (1.2) | 2355 (1.0) | < 0.01 |
| Type of attendant at delivery | < 0.01 | ||
| Family physician | 14 307 (55.3) | 86 379 (37.5) | |
| Midwife | 2125 (8.2) | 16 054 (7.0) | |
| Obstetrician | 8584 (33.2) | 120 180 (52.2) | |
| Other health professional or no attendant | 829 (3.2) | 7706 (3.3) | |
| Home birth | 641 (2.5) | 4051 (1.8) | < 0.01 |
| Large baby (> 4000 g) | 3626 (14.0) | 28 521 (12.4) | < 0.01 |