A case-control study of primary caesarean section at the Port Moresby General Hospital, Papua New Guinea, to identify epidemiological predictors of abdominal delivery.

A retrospective study of 274 consecutive primary caesarean sections and 274 unmatched controls was carried out at Port Moresby General Hospital from January to December 1992. The primary caesarean section rate was 3.5%. Stepwise logistic regression analysis showed that primary caesarean section was significantly associated with maternal height of less than 150 cm; nulliparity; symphysis-fundal height of more than 38 cm at admission in labour; cervical dilatation of less than 4 cm at admission in labour; and the level of fetal head at admission in labour of 3/5 or higher.

A case-control study of singleton low birthweight babies at the Port Moresby General Hospital.

A retrospective study of 432 consecutive singleton low birthweight babies and 432 unmatched controls was carried out at the Port Moresby General Hospital from January to December 1988. Of the 432 low birthweight babies 65% were preterm, 27% were light for gestational age, 6% were both preterm and light for gestational age and 2.5% could not be classified. The results of the analysis showed low birthweight to be significantly associated with the past delivery of a low birthweight infant, very young and elderly mothers, lack of antenatal care, poor family planning, hypertensive disease in pregnancy and intrauterine death. This study reveals that maternal education and improved antenatal care and family planning would ultimately reduce the incidence of low birthweight babies and perinatal mortality in Papua New Guinea.