Risk factors for neonatal transfers from the Sapopemba free-standing birth centre to a hospital in São Paulo, Brazil.
OBJECTIVE
to identify risk factors associated with neonatal transfers from a free-standing birth centre to a hospital.


METHODS
epidemiological case-control study.


METHODS
midwifery-led free-standing birth centre in São Paulo, Brazil.


METHODS
96 newborns were selected from 2840 births between September 1998 and August 2005. Cases were defined as all newborns transferred from the birth centre to a hospital (n=32), and controls were defined as newborns delivered at the same birth centre, during the same time period, and who had not been transferred to a hospital (n=64).


RESULTS
data were collected from medical records available at the birth centre. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed using logistic regression. The multivariate analysis included outcomes with p<0.25, specifically: smoking during pregnancy, prenatal care appointments, labour complications, weight in relation to gestational age, and one-minute Apgar score. Of the foregoing outcomes, those that remained in the full regression model as a risk factor associated with neonatal transfer were: smoking during pregnancy [p=0.009, odds ratio (OR)=4.1, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.03-16.33], labour complications (p<0.001, OR=5.5, 95% CI 1.06-28.26) and one-minute Apgar score ≤ 7 (p<0.001, OR=7.8, 95% CI 1.62-37.03).


CONCLUSIONS
smoking during pregnancy, labour complications and one-minute Apgar score ≤ 7 were confirmed as risk factors for neonatal transfer from the birth centre to a hospital. The identified risk factors can help to improve institutional protocols and formulate hypotheses for other studies.
Koiffman
Márcia Duarte
MD
Escola de Enfermagem da Universidade de São Paulo, Departamento de Enfermagem Materno-Infantil e Psiquiátrica, 05403-000 Cerqueira César, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
Schneck
Camilla Alexsandra
CA
Riesco
Maria Luiza Gonzalez
ML
Bonadio
Isabel Cristina
IC