title: Experience of practitioners and delivery outcome.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  It is commonly believed that the experience of practitioners (time spent in delivery ward) may be helpful in aiding the spontaneous vaginal birth.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To check if this opinion is true.
  
  
  METHODS
  In 995 low-risk, full-term, pregnancies resulting in spontaneous labour, multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed, which considered the age, the years of service of the obstetrician and of the midwife, and of both as independent variables. Results The longer the obstetrician (odds ratio 0.779, C.I. 95% 0.653-0.930, p = 0.006) or the midwife has been practising (odds ratio 0.609, C.I. 95% 0.408-0.909, p = 0.015) the less likely is the occurrence of a spontaneous vaginal birth. The combined years of service of the caring doctor/midwife pair appears to have no influence on the outcome of delivery. The chances of an operative vaginal birth increase with the age of the caring obstetrician (odds ratio 1.362, C.I. 95% 1.138-1.630, p = 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The experience of the staff assisting women in labour definitely does not determine the success of deliveries. The skills of each professional category are based on theoretical knowledge that is possibly not being put to use during routine duties, especially by the 'more experienced' practitioners. Additionally, it appears that there is no team work, and decisions are not taken together.
authors.affiliation: Hospital of Civitanova Marche, Italy. ugo.indraccolo@libero.it
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Indraccolo
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nicchi
authors.forename: S R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Indraccolo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D036861:Delivery, Obstetric; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D008875:Middle Aged; D008880:Midwifery / Q000592:standards*; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009774:Obstetrics / Q000592:standards*; D011247:Pregnancy; D016896:Treatment Outcome