Maternal and neonatal outcomes following waterbirth: a cohort study of 17 530 waterbirths and 17 530 propensity score-matched land births.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

Investigate maternal and neonatal outcomes following waterbirth.

Design

Retrospective cohort study, with propensity score matching to address confounding.

Setting

Community births, United States.

Sample

Medical records-based registry data from low-risk births were used to create waterbirth and land birth groups (n = 17 530 each), propensity score-matched on >80 demographic and pregnancy risk covariables.

Methods

Logistic regression models compared outcomes between the matched waterbirth and land birth groups.

Main outcome measures

Maternal: immediate postpartum transfer to a hospital, any genital tract trauma, severe (3rd/4th degree) trauma, haemorrhage >1000 mL, diagnosed haemorrhage regardless of estimated blood loss, uterine infection

SUBMITTER: Bovbjerg ML 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9035022 | biostudies-literature | 2022 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature