Table 1

Method of analgesia by demographic and obstetric factors


Non-pharmacological
n (%)
Gas
n (%)
Pethidine
n (%)
Epidural
n (%)
General anaesthetic
n (%)
p-value from χ2 test

n = 312
n = 190
n = 292
n = 416
n = 50


Maternal age





0.002
16–19
5 (2)
4 (2)
9 (3)
8 (2)
2 (4)

20–24
28 (9)
17 (9)
54 (18)
45 (11)
3 (6)

25–29
99 (32)
63 (33)
99 (34)
153 (37)
11 (22)

30+
179 (58)
106 (56)
130 (45)
210 (50)
34 (68)

Maternal education





0.32
Up to year 11
61 (20)
43 (23)
63 (22)
74 (18)
10 (20)

Year 12
70 (23)
43 (23)
80 (27)
98 (24)
5 (10)

Trade/certificate/diploma
61 (20)
31 (16)
57 (20)
87 (21)
11 (22)

Degree
118 (38)
73 (38)
92 (32)
155 (37)
24 (48)

Type of birth





<0.0001
Vaginal
306 (98)
183 (96)
262 (90)
116 (28)
0

Instrumental
6 (2)
7 (4)
30 (10)
128 (31)
0

CS with labour
0
0
0
64 (15)
19 (38)

CS no labour
0
0
0
108 (26)
31 (62)

Onset of labour





<0.0001
Spontaneous
258 (83)
148 (78)
201 (69)
162 (39)
11 (22)

Induced
53 (17)
41 (22)
89 (31)
144 (35)
8 (16)

No labour
0
0
0
108 (26)
31 (62)

Parity





<0.0001
No previous births
84 (27)
62 (33)
157 (54)
225 (54)
19 (38)

≥1 previous births
227 (73)
128 (67)
134 (46)
191 (46)
31 (62)

Length of labour1





<0.0001
<2 hours
52 (17)
24 (13)
12 (4)
6 (2)
1 (5)

2–12 hours
224 (72)
144 (76)
200 (68)
142 (47)
11 (58)

12–24 hours
32 (10)
16 (8)
67 (23)
105 (34)
4 (21)

>24 hours
3 (1)
5 (3)
13 (5)
51 (17)
3 (16)


1among women who laboured

Torvaldsen et al. International Breastfeeding Journal 2006 1:24   doi:10.1186/1746-4358-1-24