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INTERPRETATION : The assistance given to women in a larger community hospital is more geared towards progress of labour than that given in smaller hospitals and midwife-controlled maternity homes. Frequent use of oxytocin to enhance contractions and epidural analgesia probably increases the rate of instrumental deliveries. This investigation points to the necessity of developing differentiated plans for maternity care given to low-risk women delivering in larger community hospitals, in line with a policy adopted by the Norwegian parliament. RESULTS : There were 520 live newborns. 466 infants (89.6%) had an Apgar score > or = 8 after 1 minute; 509 a score > or = 8 after 5 minutes. In this low-risk group, 10.4% instrumental deliveries were performed, 2.7% caesareans and 7.7% vacuum extractions. In nulliparous women, the instrumental delivery rate was 19.7%, among the multiparous 4.6%. A surprisingly high number of low-risk women (38.7 %) were stimulated during labour with oxytocin, 62% of the primiparous and 24% of the multiparous. The indications for this were often obscure. Among oxytocin-stimulated primiparous women, 31.2% had an instrumental delivery, against 1.3% in non-stimulated women. Epidural analgesia was given to 22.3% of all low-risk women; of these, 91.4% received oxytocin. 3.1% had a perineal tear grade > or = 3. MATERIAL AND METHODS : From January through June 2002, 920 women delivered. 520 were retrospectively considered low risk with spontaneous start of labour (56.5% of all labours). They were selected according to defined criteria. The results of this group with 197 nulliparous (37.7%) and 323 multiparous (62.1%) women are presented. BACKGROUND : The aim of the study was to investigate the obstetric outcome for low-risk pregnant women delivering in a larger community hospital with 1800 deliveries annually. The investigation was carried out before the implementation of a differentiated plan for maternity care.

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