Table 1 Maternal, labor, neonatal and hospital characteristics without and with mediolateral episiotomy in nulliparous women with singleton pregnancy delivering by operative vaginal delivery at term

Maternal age, years

0.08

  < 25

933 (32.4)

1414 (30.0)

 25–34

1753 (60.9)

2954 (62.7)

  > 35

194 (6.7)

341 (7.3)

Body mass index, kg/m²

0.01

  < 18.5

183 (7.4)

314 (7.2)

 18.5–24.9

1597 (65.4)

2774 (63.7)

 25–29.9

456 (18.7)

812 (18.7)

  ≥ 30

207 (8.5)

448 (10.3)

 Missing data

437

361

Smoking during pregnancy

374 (13.0)

714 (15.1)

0.01

Gestational diabetes

225 (7.8)

478 (10.1)

0.01

Hypertension disorder of pregnancy

105 (3.6)

190 (4.0)

0.39

 Induction of labor

581 (20.2)

1010 (21.5)

0.18

 Gestational age at delivery >  41 WG

423 (14.7)

760 (16.1)

0.09

 Epidural analgesia

2723 (94.6)

4241 (90.1)

0.01

 Fetal distress during labor

1134 (39.4)

2034 (43.2)

0.01

 Occiput posterior position

63 (2.1)

73 (1.6)

0.04

Operative vaginal delivery

0.01

 Forceps/spatula delivery

1433 (50.2

1265 (26.9)

 Vacuum delivery

1421 (49.8)

3432 (73.1)

 Missing data

26

12

Birth weight, g

0.01

  < 2500

42 (1.5)

130 (2.8)

 2500–3999

2553 (91.9)

4362 (92.9)

  > 4000

184 (6.6)

199 (4.2)

 Missing data

1

18

Small for gestational age < 10th percentile ^‡

213 (7.4)

500 (10.6)

0.01

Hospital characteristics

0.01

 Level I maternity unit

1093 (38.0)

693 (14.7)

 Level II maternity unit

966 (33.5)

2202 (46.8)

 Level III maternity unit

821 (28.5)

1814 (38.5)