Biosocial characteristics and mode of delivery at term of women monitored in a voluntary agency hospital.
BACKGROUND
Many deliveries and maternal deaths occur in peripheral facilities and are usually attended to by General Practitioners (GPs). Maternal features that could help the GP predict whether a pregnancy will end in normal delivery or whether skilled assistance will be required to deliver the woman at term would be useful guides for early referrals or interventions.


METHODS
This was a prospective study of 400 mothers with singleton pregnancies monitored at the Sacred Heart Hospital, Lantoro, Abeokuta, from February to July 1999. Records of maternal age, height, parity, occupation, educational level, weight-gain during pregnancy, the regularity of antenatal visits and delivery were analyzed.


RESULTS
Mothers shorter than 1.55m, those who recorded large weight-gains during pregnancy, and those who booked late were more likely to experience difficult deliveries at term. Highly educated mothers and those in the upper socio-economic class were also more likely to have difficult delivery and require skilled assistance before birth at term.


CONCLUSIONS
Some maternal biological and social characteristics can be used ante-natally by GPs to predict the type of delivery a woman will undergo at term. GPs should routinely look for such features in pregnant mothers.
Ariba
A J
AJ
Department of General Medical Practice, Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital, Sagamu, Nigeria.
Lamina
M A
MA
Ukot
I A
IA
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001071:Appointments and Schedules; D036861:Delivery, Obstetric / Q000379:methods*; D005194:Family Practice / Q000592:standards*; D005260:Female; D006788:Hospitals, Voluntary / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009549:Nigeria / Q000453:epidemiology; D010298:Parity; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011295:Prenatal Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012017:Referral and Consultation; D012307:Risk Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors