These are general stats...from lots of countries collapsed together and thus not hugely specific.

Transfer rate is about 35%. That is 35% of ALL women have to transfer.

"Transfer" means "go to hospital" - it can be a post-birth transfer too, it's just if the birthing is not completed in its entirety at home, ok? So if you give birth and tear and have to transfer for repair that's a transfer. If you have retained placenta, that's a transfer. If bubs has something that needs paed attention immediately (talipes, suspected DS, cleft palate etc.) that's a transfer.

Of the 35%, 70% are first time mothers, and of THEM about 85% transfer for epidural pain relief or because their labour is very long and they are exhausted and wish to have augmentation. The remainder of the total who transfer do so for obstetric or paediatric need. I THINK that the overall c-section rate for those who transfer is about 30-40%, but you need to remember that some of those sections will be for failure to progress (failure to wait) followed by failed induction. Women who DO transfer usually do so for intervention because either they can't cope with the pain or they need obstetric medical help.

Things like death and injury are recorded as being where the complication occured. If the cord prolapses at home it's a home prolapse, if the labour is long and mum goes in for epidural and augmentation and bubs gets distressed it's hopsital foetal distress.

HTH

Bx