Objective: To compare the national statistics of England and Wales with the national statistics of France, and see if there are significant differences in obstetric care resulting in a significantly different perinatal outcome.
Design: Retrospective analysis of national statistics 1970-1989 (latest available figures) relating to perinatal outcome, antenatal and intrapartum care.
Setting: HIPE and DoH statistics (England and Wales); INSERM statistics (France).
Subjects: Pregnant women residents of England and Wales, and of France.
Interventions: Different aspects of obstetric care for which comparable data were available from national statistics.
Main outcome measures: Perinatal mortality rate, incidence of low birth weight and preterm delivery; type of antenatal care, number of antenatal visits and in-patient admission rate; induction of labour rate, incidence of acceleration of labour with oxytocin, incidence of spontaneous and operative deliveries and person undertaking delivery; episiotomy rate and postnatal in-patient stay.
Results: More antenatal intervention and marginally less intrapartum intervention in England and Wales as compared with France. No significant difference in the perinatal mortality rate, in the incidence of low birth weight or preterm delivery, with similar trends being observed over the two decades.
Conclusion: Significant differences in obstetric practices between the two countries without a major difference in perinatal outcome.