Birth in Brazil: national survey into labour and birth.

BACKGROUND: Caesarean section rates in Brazil have been steadily increasing. In 2009, for the first time, the number of children born by this type of procedure was greater than the number of vaginal births. Caesarean section is associated with a series of adverse effects on the women and newborn, and recent evidence suggests that the increasing rates of prematurity and low birth weight in Brazil are associated to the increasing rates of Caesarean section and labour induction. METHODS: Nationwide hospital-based cohort study of postnatal women and their offspring with follow-up at 45 to 60 days after birth. The sample was stratified by geographic macro-region, type of the municipality and by type of hospital governance. The number of postnatal women sampled was 23,940, distributed in 191 municipalities throughout Brazil. Two electronic questionnaires were applied to the postnatal women, one baseline face-to-face and one follow-up telephone interview. Two other questionnaires were filled with information on patients' medical records and to assess hospital facilities. The primary outcome was the percentage of Caesarean sections (total, elective and according to Robson's groups). Secondary outcomes were: post-partum pain; breastfeeding initiation; severe/near miss maternal morbidity; reasons for maternal mortality; prematurity; low birth weight; use of oxygen use after birth and mechanical ventilation; admission to neonatal ICU; stillbirths; neonatal mortality; readmission in hospital; use of surfactant; asphyxia; severe/near miss neonatal morbidity. The association between variables were investigated using bivariate, stratified and multivariate model analyses. Statistical tests were applied according to data distribution and homogeneity of variances of groups to be compared. All analyses were taken into consideration for the complex sample design. DISCUSSION: This study, for the first time, depicts a national panorama of labour and birth outcomes in Brazil. Regardless of the socioeconomic level, demand for Caesarean section appears to be based on the belief that the quality of obstetric care is closely associated to the technology used in labour and birth. Within this context, it was justified to conduct a nationwide study to understand the reasons that lead pregnant women to submit to Caesarean sections and to verify any association between this type of birth and it's consequences on postnatal health.

Resultados maternos e neonatais em centro de parto normal peri-hospitalar e hospital / Maternal and neonatal outcomes at an alongside birth center and at a hospital / Resultados maternos y neonatales en centro de parto normal peri hospitalario y hospital

OBJETIVO: Comparar os resultados maternos e neonatais em mulheres de baixo risco atendidas em centro de parto normal peri-hospitalar e hospital. MÉTODOS: Estudo transversal com amostra representativa de mulheres de baixo risco atendidas em São Paulo, SP, de 2003 a 2006. Foram incluídas 991 mulheres que tiveram o parto no centro de parto normal e 325 que deram à luz no hospital. Os dados foram obtidos dos prontuários. A análise comparativa foi realizada para o total de mulheres e estratificada segundo a paridade. Foram aplicados os testes qui-quadrado e exato de Fisher. RESULTADOS: Houve distribuição homogênea das mulheres segundo a paridade (45,4 por cento nulíparas e 54,6 por cento mulheres com um ou mais partos anteriores). Foram encontradas diferenças estatisticamente significantes em relação às seguintes intervenções: amniotomia (mais freqüente entre nulíparas do hospital); utilização de ocitocina no trabalho de parto e utilização de analgésico no pós-parto (mais freqüentes no hospital entre as mulheres de todas as paridades). A taxa de episiotomia foi maior entre as nulíparas, tanto no centro de parto como no hospital. Houve maior freqüência de intervenções com o neonato no hospital: aspiração das vias aéreas superiores, aspiração gástrica, lavagem gástrica, oxigênio por máscara aberta. Também ocorreram com mais freqüência no hospital bossa serossanguínea, desconforto respiratório e internação na unidade neonatal. Não houve diferença nos valores de Apgar no quinto minuto nem casos de morte materna ou perinatal. CONCLUSÕES: A assistência no centro de parto normal foi realizada com menos intervenções e com resultados maternos e neonatais semelhantes aos do hospital.

OBJECTIVE: To compare maternal and neonatal outcomes in low-risk women assisited in an alongside birth center and at a hospital. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted with a representative sample of low-risk women in São Paulo (Southeastern Brazil), from 2003 to 2006. The study included 991 women who delivered a child at the alongside birth center and 325 who delivered a child at a hospital. Data were obtained from medical records. A comparative analysis was performed for all of the women, who were stratified according to parity. The chi-square test and Fisher's exact test were used to compare outcomes between women who delivered in alongside birth center and those who gave birth in the hospital. RESULTS: There was a homogeneous distribution of women according to parity (45.4 percent were nulliparous, and 54.6 percent had one or more previous deliveries). Statistically significant differences were found in the frequency of amniotomy (more frequent in nulliparous women treated at the hospital), the use of oxytocin during labor, and the use of postpartum analgesia (both more frequent among women of any parity treated at the hospital). The rate of episiotomy was higher in nulliparous women, both in the alongside birth center and at the hospital. Neonatal interventions were more frequent at the hospital and included aspiration of the upper airways, gastric aspiration, gastric lavage, and the use of an open oxygen mask. Other events that occurred with greater frequency at the hospital included caput succedaneum, respiratory discomfort, and admittance to the neonatal unit. There was no difference in Apgar scores at the fifth minute or cases of maternal or perinatal death. CONCLUSIONS: Care at the alongside birth center involved fewer interventions and had maternal and neonatal outcomes similar to those of the hospital setting.

OBJETIVO: Comparar los resultados maternos y neonatales en mujeres de bajo riesgo atendidas en centro de parto normal peri hospitalario y hospital. MÉTODOS: Estudio transversal con muestra representativa de mujeres de bajo riesgo atendidas en Sao Paulo, Sureste de Brasil, de 2003 a 2006. Se incluyeron 991 mujeres que realizaron el parto en el centro de parto normal y 325 que dieron a luz en el hospital. Los datos fueron obtenidos de los prontuarios. El análisis comparativo fue realizado para el total de mujeres y estratificado según la paridad. Se aplicaron las pruebas de chi-cuadrado y exacto de Fisher. RESULTADOS: Hubo distribución homogénea de las mujeres según la paridad (45,4 por ciento de nulíparas y 54,6 por ciento de mujeres con uno o más partos anteriores). Se encontraron diferencias estadísticamente significativas con relación a las siguientes intervenciones: amniotomía (más frecuente entre nulíparas del hospital), utilización de ocitocina en el trabajo de parto y utilización de analgésico en el postparto (más frecuentes en el hospital entre las mujeres de todas las paridades). La tasa de episiotomía fue mayor entre las nulíparas, tanto en el centro de parto como en el hospital. Hubo mayor frecuencia de intervenciones con el neonato en el hospital: aspiración de las vías aéreas superiores, aspiración gástrica, lavado gástrico, oxígeno por máscara abierta. También ocurrieron con más frecuencia en el hospital bolsa serosanguínea, dificultad respiratoria e internación en la unidad neonatal. No hubo diferencia en los valores de Apgar en el quinto minuto ni en casos de muerte materna o perinatal. CONCLUSIONES: La asistencia en el centro de parto normal fue realizada con menos intervenciones y con resultados maternos y neonatales semejantes a los del hospital.

Maternal and neonatal outcomes at an alongside birth center and at a hospital.

OBJECTIVE: To compare maternal and neonatal outcomes in low-risk women assisited in an alongside birth center and at a hospital. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted with a representative sample of low-risk women in São Paulo (Southeastern Brazil), from 2003 to 2006. The study included 991 women who delivered a child at the alongside birth center and 325 who delivered a child at a hospital. Data were obtained from medical records. A comparative analysis was performed for all of the women, who were stratified according to parity. The chi-square test and Fisher's exact test were used to compare outcomes between women who delivered in alongside birth center and those who gave birth in the hospital. RESULTS: There was a homogeneous distribution of women according to parity (45.4% were nulliparous, and 54.6% had one or more previous deliveries). Statistically significant differences were found in the frequency of amniotomy (more frequent in nulliparous women treated at the hospital), the use of oxytocin during labor, and the use of postpartum analgesia (both more frequent among women of any parity treated at the hospital). The rate of episiotomy was higher in nulliparous women, both in the alongside birth center and at the hospital. Neonatal interventions were more frequent at the hospital and included aspiration of the upper airways, gastric aspiration, gastric lavage, and the use of an open oxygen mask. Other events that occurred with greater frequency at the hospital included caput succedaneum, respiratory discomfort, and admittance to the neonatal unit. There was no difference in Apgar scores at the fifth minute or cases of maternal or perinatal death. CONCLUSIONS: Care at the alongside birth center involved fewer interventions and had maternal and neonatal outcomes similar to those of the hospital setting.

Women´s satisfaction with childbirth’ experience in different models of care: a descriptive study / Satisfação das mulheres com a experiência do parto em modelos assistenciais distintos: um estudo descritivo

Com o objetivo de comparar a satisfação das mulheres com a experiência do parto em três modelos assistenciais, foi realizada pesquisa descritiva, com abordagem quantitativa, em dois hospitais públicos de São Paulo, um promovendo o modelo “Típico” e o outro com um centro de parto intra-hospitalar (modelo “CPNIH”) e um peri-hospitalar (modelo “CPNPH”). A amostra foi constituída por 90 puérperas, 30 de cada modelo. A comparação entre os resultados referentes à satisfação das mulheres com o atendimento prestado pelos profissionais de saúde, com a qualidade da assistência e os motivos de satisfação e insatisfação, com a indicação ou recomendação dos serviços recebidos, com a sensação de segurança no processo e com as sugestões de melhorias, mostrou que o modelo CPHPH foi o melhor avaliado, vindo em seguida o CPNIH e por último o Típico. Conclui-se que o modelo peri-hospitalar de assistência ao parto deveria receber maior apoio do SUS, por se constituir em serviço em que as mulheres se mostram satisfeitas com a atenção recebida.

Aiming to compare women's satisfaction regarding the experience of childbirth in three care models, a descriptive and quantitative research was conducted in two public hospitals in the city of Sao Paulo, the first promoting the traditional obstetric model or typical model and the second was the intra and extra-hospital birth center. The sample consisted of 90 puerperal women, 30 of each model. The comparison between the results with the care provided by health professionals, the quality of care and reasons for satisfaction and dissatisfaction, the recommendation of the services received, the sense of security in the process and the suggestions for improvements of the services, showed that the women were more satisfied with the extra-hospital birth center model o care, coming after the intra-hospital birth center and finally the traditional obstetric model of care. It was concluded that women are satisfied with the birth centers, indicating the need of these services to receive more support from the SUS.