[Obstetric and neonatal outcomes in a home-like birth centre: a case-control study].
OBJECTIVE
To compare intervention rates associated with labor in low-risk women who began their labor in the "home-like birth centre" and the traditional delivery room.


METHODS
This retrospective study used data that were collected from January 2005 through June 2008, from women admitted to the "home-like birth centre" (n=316) and compared to a group of randomly selected low-risk women admitted to the traditional labor ward (n=890) using the Baysian Information Criterion to select the best predictive model.


RESULTS
Women in the "home-like birth centre" had spontaneous vaginal deliveries more often (88.6% versus 82.8%, P value 0.034) and perineal lesions less often (60.1% versus 62.5%, P value 0.013). The frequency of adverse neonatal outcomes did not differ statistically between the two groups, although mean clamped at birth umbilical arterial pH level was higher in the "home-like birth centre" group. The transfer rate from "home-like birth centre" to traditional labor ward was 31.3%.


CONCLUSIONS
It appears that women could benefit from "home-like birth centre" care in settings such as the one studied. Larger observational studies are warranted to validate these results.
Département de gynécologie-obstétrique, centre hospitalo-universitaire de Strasbourg, 1, avenue Molière, 67098 Strasbourg cedex, France. a.gaudineau@orange.fr
A
A
Gaudineau
E-A
EA
Sauleau
I
I
Nisand
B
B
Langer
D000328:Adult; D001034:Apgar Score; D016550:Birthing Centers; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003696:Delivery Rooms; D036861:Delivery, Obstetric / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D007743:Labor, Obstetric; D010360:Patient Transfer / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010502:Perineum / Q000293:injuries; D011247:Pregnancy; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014469:Umbilical Arteries