Vaginal operative deliveries in Italy.
OBJECTIVE
To analyze the trends in vaginal operative deliveries in Italy.


METHODS
Analysis of information on all deliveries after the 28th week of gestation, routinely collected by the Italian Central Institute of Statistics using a standard form.


METHODS
National data on all Italian deliveries in the period 1981-85.


METHODS
All deliveries occurred in Italy in the period.


RESULTS
Forceps and vacuum delivery were reported in 1981 respectively in 0.9 and 2.1/100 deliveries. Similar percentages were observed during the whole considered quinquennium for vacuum extraction, but the forceps delivery rate decreased to 0.6/100 in 1985. Nulliparous women more frequently had an operative vaginal delivery: the rates of forceps and vacuum deliveries were respectively 1.1 and 3.7/100 in nulliparae and 0.3 and 1.0 in women reporting one or more previous births. There was a direct relationship between vacuum delivery rate and birth weight: vacuum deliveries were reported for respectively 0.9 and 2.3/100 infants weighing less than 2500 g and > or = 2500 g. Likewise, vaginal operative deliveries were more frequent in term or post-term births, and vacuum deliveries among singleton births than multiple ones (2.3 vs 1.7/100 deliveries).


CONCLUSIONS
Operative vaginal delivery rates in Italy in the mid 1980's were lower than in most developed countries. The reasons for forceps and vacuum extraction were similar to other developed countries with regard to obstetric determinants, but some differences emerged for socio-demographic factors.
Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri, Milan, Italy.
F
F
Parazzini
I
I
Cortinovis
S
S
Restelli
R
R
Bortolus
L
L
Tozzi
D000328:Adult; D002585:Cesarean Section / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005113:Extraction, Obstetrical / Q000706:statistics & numerical data* / Q000639:trends; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D008423:Maternal Age; D010298:Parity; D011247:Pregnancy; D012307:Risk Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014620:Vacuum Extraction, Obstetrical / Q000706:statistics & numerical data* / Q000639:trends