Giving birth in rural Arctic Greenland results from an Eastern Greenlandic birth cohort

Figures & data

Figure 1. Map over Greenland.

Table 1. Maternal characteristics in the Eastern Greeland birth cohort from 2000 to 2017.

	All pregnant women (n = 1344)
	n	%
Maternal age (mean 24.8 (SD 5.9))
13–18 years	195	14.5
19–35 years	1075	80.0
36–45 years	74	5.5
Civil status
Married	247	18.4
Single	487	36.2
Divorced	2	0.2
Co-habiting	597	44.4
Missing data	11	0.8
Municipality
Tasiilaq	1168	86.9
Ittoqqortoormiit	176	13.1
Living in
Town	913	68.0
Settlement	405	30.1
Missing data	26	1.9
Place of giving birth
Hospital*	1307	97.2
Clinics in settlements	29	2.2
Home	3	0.2
Missing data	5	0.4

*204 (15.2%) gave birth in Nuuk

Table 2. Pregnancy and birth outcomes in the Eastern Greeland birth cohort from 2000 to 2017.

	Total population (n=1344)		Term population* (n = 1213)
	n	%	n	%
Number of previous pregnancies (mean 4.4)
0	198	14.6	175	14.4
1	234	17.3	209	17.2
2	222	16.4	205	16.9
>3	699	51.6	622	51.3
Missing data	2	0.1	2	0.2
Antenatal visits – physician (mean 1.7)
0	312	23.0	276	22.8
1–7	995	73.4	853	70.3
>7	26	1.9	64	5.3
Missing data	22	1.7	20	1.6
Antenatal visits – midwife (mean 6.7)
0	71	5.2	61	5.0
1–7	726	53.6	638	52.6
>7	549	40.5	506	41.7
Missing data	9	0.7	8	0.7
Pain-relief during labour	248	18.3	206	17.0
Use of nitrous oxide during labour	25	1.8	21	1.7
Use of morphine during labour	65	4.8	54	4.5
Augmentation of labour	133	9.8	113	9.3
Assisted birth (vacuum)	7	0.5	5	2.3
Episiotomy	31	2.3	29	2.4
Caesarean section	88	6.5	66	5.4
Elective	23	1.7	20	1.6
Emergency	65	4.8	46	3.8
Retrained placenta	18	1.3	15	1.2

* birth ≥ 37 gestational week

Table 3. Neonatal outcomes in the Eastern Greeland birth cohort from 2000 to 2017.

	All Children (n = 1355)		Children born at term* (n = 1218)
	n	%	n	%
Sex of the child
Girl	652	48.1	589	48.4
Boy	701	51.7	627	51.5
Missing data	2	0.2	2	0.1
Birthweight**
0444–2500 grams	78	5.8	21	1.7
2500–4500 grams	1256	92.7	1178	96.7
4501–5255 grams	21	1.5	19	1.6
Preterm birth***	137	10.1	–	–
Apgar Score 5 minuts
< 7	29	2.1	10	0.8
≥ 7	1307	96.5	1194	98.0
Missing data	19	1.4	14	1.2
Malformations
Yes	30	2.2	24	1.9
No	1307	96.5	1180	96.9
Missing data	18	1.3	14	1.2
Vital status
Born alive	1344	99.2	1215	99.8
Stillborn & died during birth	11	0.8	< 5	< 0.5

* term ≥ 37 gestational weeks

** mean birthweight for the total population = 3363 grams

*** preterm birth < 37 gestational weeks