Trends in obstetric practices and meconium aspiration syndrome: a population-based study.

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To determine trends in the incidence of meconium aspiration syndrome (MAS), and maternal factors and obstetric practices associated with any decline. DESIGN: Population-based cohort study. SETTING: New South Wales (NSW), Australia. POPULATION: All 877 037 liveborn, singleton, term infants (≥ 37 weeks of gestation) in the period 1997-2007. METHODS: Data were obtained from birth records linked to the neonatal hospital discharge records. The birth data provided information on maternal and obstetric factors, whereas the outcome of interest, MAS, was obtained from hospital data on the neonates. Multivariable logistic regression was used to estimate the risk of MAS while simultaneously ..