print
All % data provided here is for 2014 and has been calculated by 'bump2babe: The Consumer Guide to Maternity Services in Ireland'. Maternity units provided bump2babe with numbers of mothers or babies for the various categories and we calculated the percentage rates. In some instances, numbers of mothers were provided when we needed numbers of babies or vice versa and this could lead to discrepancies of maximum 2%. Blank spaces indicate no data was provided by the maternity unit.
We are not responsible for any inaccuracies in the figures given to bump2babe. The guide has highlighted and raised concerns about differences in data recording and reporting abilities in the 19 maternity units and 2 midwifery-led units in Ireland. The roll-out of the new Maternal & Newborn Clinical Management System will standardise data recording in future years.

University Hospital Kerry Print Version Detailed data - all hospitals

General Information All mothers First-time mothers 2nd- & subsequent-time mothers
No. of mothers1,434491943
No. of babies born1,454
Onset of labour (%) All mothers First-time mothers 2nd- & subsequent-time mothers
Spontaneous onset of labour54.6%
Labour induced24.7%
Elective caesarean birth15.2%9.0%18.8%
Pre-labour emergency caesarean birth
Mode of birth (%) All mothers First-time mothers 2nd- & subsequent-time mothers
Spontaneous vaginal birth50.7%
Ventouse/vacuum birth12.4%
Forceps birth2.8%
Total Instrumental birth15.2%
Unplanned/emergency caesarean birth in labour18.0%26.3%14.0%
All unplanned/emergency caesarean births18.0%26.3%14.0%
Total caesarean birth33.1%35.2%32.8%
Induction of labour (methods) (% of women whose labours were induced) All mothers First-time mothers 2nd- & subsequent-time mothers
By prostaglandin (PG) only75.1%
By artificial rupture of membranes (ARM) only20.1%
By syntocinon only (if previous SROM)4.8%
By combination: PG + ARM
By combination: PG + ARM + syntocinon
By combination: ARM + syntocinon
Other:
Modes of birth following induction of labour (% of women whose labours were induced) All mothers First-time mothers 2nd- & subsequent-time mothers
Spontaneous vaginal birth76.0%
Ventouse/vacuum birth
Forceps birth
Total instrumental birth
Caesarean birth24.3%
In spontaneous labour (% of women whose labour started spontaneously) All mothers First-time mothers 2nd- & subsequent-time mothers
Artificial rupture of membranes (ARM)28.4%
Syntocinon14.3%
Modes of birth following spontaneous labour (% of women whose labour started spontaneously) All mothers First-time mothers 2nd- & subsequent-time mothers
Spontaneous vaginal birth87.9%
Ventouse/vacuum birth
Forceps birth
Total instrumental birth
Caesarean birth12.5%
"Normal Birth" % (Spontaneous onset of labour, no artificial rupture of membranes, no augmentation, no epidural, no episiotomy, spontaneous vaginal birth.) All mothers First-time mothers 2nd- & subsequent-time mothers
Normal Birth overall
Normal birth in spontaneous labour
Breech babies All mothers First-time mothers 2nd- & subsequent-time mothers
% of babies in the breech position at birth
% of breech babies born vaginally2.1%
% of breech babies born vaginally - singletons0.0%
% of breech babies born vaginally - twins2.1%1 breech twin baby born vaginally
% of breech babies born by caesarean birth97.9%
Twin births All mothers First-time mothers 2nd- & subsequent-time mothers
Twins - % vaginal birth35.0%
Twins - % caesarean birth65.0%
Vaginal birth after caesarean (VBAC)
Unit VBAC % 2.6%
% of mothers with one prior caesarean who laboured (trial of labour after caesarean)29.1%
% of mothers with one prior caesarean who laboured - spontaneous labour27.1%
% of mothers with one prior caesarean who laboured - induced labour2.0%
% of mothers with one prior caesarean who gave birth vaginally15.4%
VBAC success rate (% of women with one prior caesarean who laboured who gave birth vaginally) 52.8%
Fetal monitoring in labour All mothers First-time mothers 2nd- & subsequent-time mothers
Admission trace (approx. 20 min)
Intermittent auscultation during labour
Continuous electronic fetal monitoring – external
Continuous electronic fetal monitoring – internal (fetal scalp electrode)
Fetal blood sampling
Pharmacological pain relief in labour - % usage All mothers First-time mothers 2nd- & subsequent-time mothers
Entonox (Gas & Air)
Epidural / spinal34.4%
Pethidine / diamorphine
Tears / episiotomies % All mothers First-time mothers 2nd- & subsequent-time mothers
Intact perineum18.1%7.3%23.8%
Grazes/tears not requiring sutures0.1%0.0%0.2%
1st degree tears9.6%4.5%9.9%
2nd degree tears21.2%16.7%23.5%
3rd degree tears1.12%1.63%0.85%
4th degree tears0.14%
Total 3rd & 4th degree tears1.26%1.63%0.85%
Episiotomy – spontaneous vaginal birth15.1%
Episiotomy - instrumental birth9.8%
Total episiotomy24.9%
Timing of umbilical cord clamping - % of babies All mothers First-time mothers 2nd- & subsequent-time mothers
Delayed until cord has stopped pulsating
Clamping at approx. 1 min
Immediate cord clamping
3rd stage of labour All mothers First-time mothers 2nd- & subsequent-time mothers
% physiological 3rd stage of labour
% actively managed 3rd stage of labour
Antibiotics administered to mother in the peripartum period All mothers First-time mothers 2nd- & subsequent-time mothers
Antibiotics administered - % mothers
Health professionals in attendance All mothers First-time mothers 2nd- & subsequent-time mothers
% mothers attended by midwife(s) only in labour
% mothers attended by doctor(s) & midwife(s) in labour
Breastfeeding - % of babies All mothers First-time mothers 2nd- & subsequent-time mothers
Initiated breastfeeding within 1 hr of birth54.4%
Exclusively breastfeeding on discharge46.8%
Any breastfeeding on discharge53.7%
Babies born outside of the unit - % of babies All mothers First-time mothers 2nd- & subsequent-time mothers
Born before arrival (booked for hospital birth but born before reaching hospital)0.07%
Planned births at home with hospital community midwives
Mothers with additional risk factors All mothers First-time mothers 2nd- & subsequent-time mothers
Mothers over 35 years old
Mothers over 40 years old7.3%3.9%9.1%
Obese mothers (BMI ≥ 30 k/m2)
Mothers with diabetes or gestational diabetes8.5%
Anaesthesia used for caesarean births
Total caesarean births - % epidural usage11.8%
Total caesarean births - % spinal usage79.5%
Total caesarean births - % general anaesthetic (GA) usage8.7%
Elective caesarean births - % epidural usage0.0%
Elective caesarean births - % spinal usage97.7%
Elective caesarean births - % general anaesthetic (GA) usage2.3%
Unplanned / emergency caesarean births - % epidural usage21.8%
Unplanned / emergency caesarean births - % spinal usage64.0%
Unplanned / emergency caesarean births - % general anaesthetic (GA) usage14.2%
% contribution each Robson category makes to the overall caesarean birth rate
Group 1: unplanned caesarean in first-time mothers with one head-down baby @ 37+ weeks in spontaneous labour 9.5%
Group 2: caesarean in first-time mothers with one head-down baby @ 37+ weeks in either induced labour or before labour17.6%
Group 2a: unplanned caesarean in first-time mothers with one head-down baby @ 37+ weeks in induced labour
Group 2b: planned caesarean in first-time mothers with one head-down baby @ 37+ weeks before labour
Group 3: unplanned caesarean in 2nd- & subsequent-time mothers who have never had a prior caesarean birth, with one head-down baby @ 37+ weeks in spontaneous labour3.5%
Group 4: caesarean in 2nd- & subsequent-time mothers who have never had a prior caesarean birth, with one head-down baby @ 37+ weeks in either induced labour or before labour10.0%
Group 4a: unplanned caesarean in 2nd- & subsequent-time mothers who have never had a prior caesarean birth, with one head-down baby @ 37+ weeks in induced labour
Group 4b: planned caesarean in 2nd- & subsequent-time mothers who have never had a prior caesarean birth, with one head-down baby @ 37+ weeks before labour
Group 5: repeat caesarean in mothers with one head-down baby @ 37+ weeks36.7%
Group 6: caesarean in first-time mothers with one breech baby 4.6%
Group 7: caesarean in 2nd- & subsequent-time mothers with one breech baby (including mothers with prior caesareans)5.0%
Group 8: caesarean in all mothers with multiple pregnancy (including mothers with prior caesareans)2.7%
Group 9: caesarean in all mothers with one baby in transverse or oblique position (including mothers with prior caesareans)1.5%
Group 10: caesareans in all mothers with one head-down baby less than 37 weeks (including mothers with prior caesareans)8.9%
Gestatation All mothers First-time mothers 2nd- & subsequent-time mothers
≤ 30+0 weeks0.4%
30+1 – 34+0 weeks2.0%
34+1 – 36+0 weeks2.0%
36+1 – 37+0 weeks
37+1 – 38+0 weeks
38+1 – 39+0 weeks
39+1 – 40+0 weeks
40+1 – 41+0 weeks
41+1 – 42+0 weeks
42+1 – 43+0 weeks
43+1 – 44+0 weeks
≥ 44+1 weeks