TEMPORAL TRENDS IN MATERNAL CHARACTERISTICS IN NOVA SCOTIA

Abstract

Objectives Delineate the changes in 12 perinatal indicators of maternal demographics, behaviour, delivery experience and infant outcome, by examining every birth in the province for 30years. Methods Descriptive analysis for each of 30years of maternal characteristics held within the Nova Scotia Atlee Perinatal Database. An interactive web page allows the user to select any of a set of 12 small animations, each presenting a time lapse of a perinatal indicator and its evolving distribution - with each yearly histogram appearing briefly to denote the mother's age, weight, presence of GDM, marital status, smoking and breastfeeding behaviour, type of care provider, delivery method, labour, and their infant's weight, gestational age, and vital status. Results A group of 40 mothers giving birth in Nova Scotia in 1988 would have included three younger than 20, one who was a diagnosed gestational diabetic, four who weighed more than 170 lbs., 13 who were cigarette smokers, and five who gave birth at a community hospital. Conclusions Thirty years later these characteristics are dramatically different, with substantial implications for the care that's required and the outcomes for them and their infants. All have been recorded in the Nova Scotia Atlee Perinatal Database and this descriptive study mines this data to provide a comprehensive, evolving snapshot of maternal demographics and behaviours, and the accompanying perinatal outcomes. Delineate the changes in 12 perinatal indicators of maternal demographics, behaviour, delivery experience and infant outcome, by examining every birth in the province for 30years. Descriptive analysis for each of 30years of maternal characteristics held within the Nova Scotia Atlee Perinatal Database. An interactive web page allows the user to select any of a set of 12 small animations, each presenting a time lapse of a perinatal indicator and its evolving distribution - with each yearly histogram appearing briefly to denote the mother's age, weight, presence of GDM, marital status, smoking and breastfeeding behaviour, type of care provider, delivery method, labour, and their infant's weight, gestational age, and vital status. A group of 40 mothers giving birth in Nova Scotia in 1988 would have included three younger than 20, one who was a diagnosed gestational diabetic, four who weighed more than 170 lbs., 13 who were cigarette smokers, and five who gave birth at a community hospital. Thirty years later these characteristics are dramatically different, with substantial implications for the care that's required and the outcomes for them and their infants. All have been recorded in the Nova Scotia Atlee Perinatal Database and this descriptive study mines this data to provide a comprehensive, evolving snapshot of maternal demographics and behaviours, and the accompanying perinatal outcomes.