Outcomes of deliveries in a midwife-run labour room located at an urban health centre: results of a 5-year retrospective study.

Background. We report the short-term maternal and neonatal outcomes for all deliveries conducted in a midwife-run labour room located at an urban health centre serving an urban population of Vellore, Tamil Nadu. Methods. This 5-year (2005-10) retrospective study included all birth records including those of women and neonates transferred to our tertiary care referral centre. Maternal and neonatal outcomes were analysed among deliveries In the urban health centre and at the tertiary care referral centre. Results. There were 1873 deliveries during the study period. One-third of women (679, 36.3%) were referred to the tertiary care centre. Seven (0.6%) women had postpartum haemorrhage. There were neither any maternal deaths nor any women with postpartum sepsis. Among the neonates, there were 20 (1.7%) stillbirths, 4 (0.3%) early neonatal deaths and 56 (4.7%) born with an Apgar score of < 8. Conclusion. Skilled midwife care during the antenatal period and during labour leads to good maternal and neonatal health outcomes. Implementing similar programmes could immensely improve the maternal and neonatal health indicators of India.