Maternal demographic factors associated with emergency caesarean section for non-reassuring foetal status.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to determine maternal and obstetric factors associated with emergency caesarean section (CS) for non-reassuring foetal status (NRFS).

MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a retrospective analysis of term singleton births between January 2007 and December 2015 at the Mater Mother's Hospital in Brisbane. The study group comprised all cases of emergency CS for NRFS, and the control cohort comprised all other births meeting the inclusion criteria but excluding those in the study cohort.

RESULTS: Over the study period, there were 74,177 births fulfilling the inclusion criteria. The overall rate of emergency CS for NRFS was 4.2% (3132/74,177). Multivariate analysis showed that being overweight and obese, Indian and "other" ethnicity, artificial reproductive techniques, smoking, induction of labour and gestation at 39-42 weeks were associated with an increased risk, whereas being underweight, female sex, hypertension and birth without labour conferred a lower risk.

CONCLUSION: Many maternal and obstetric factors were associated with emergency CS for NRFS and influenced adverse perinatal outcomes. Recognition of these risk factors could help risk stratify women prior to labour.