Table 3:

Distribution of components of composite severe birth trauma outcome by mode of delivery*

OutcomeAll deliveries (%)
n = 1 938 913
No. of operative vaginal deliveries (%)
n = 207 675
No. of cesarean deliveries (%)
n = 496 361
No. of spontaneous vaginal deliveries (%)
n = 1 234 877
All severe birth trauma3366 (100)1356 (100)326 (100)1684 (100)
Severe peripheral nervous system injury (brachial plexus injury)2352 (69.9)880 (64.9)99 (30.4)1373 (81.5)
Femur or humerus injury443 (13.2)139 (10.3)74 (22.7)230 (13.7)
Subaponeurotic hemorrhage244 (7.2)191 (14.1)37 (11.3)16 (1.0)
Intracranial hemorrhage or laceration226 (6.7)123 (9.1)57 (17.5)123 (7.3)
Skull fracture104 (3.1)47 (3.5)48 (14.7)9 (0.5)
Severe central nervous system injury (brain damage or spinal cord injury)101 (3.0)34 (2.5)31 (9.5)36 (2.1)
Injury to the liver or spleen< 5 (< 0.1)< 5 (< 0.4)< 5 (< 16.9)< 5 (< 0.3)
  • * The sum of individual trauma components may exceed the total because some deliveries had multiple trauma diagnoses.

  • Counts of fewer than 5 cases were suppressed owing to data privacy guidelines.