Table 7Other factors indicating increased risk and suggesting planned birth at an obstetric unit

FactorAdditional information
Previous complications
  • Unexplained stillbirth or neonatal death, or previous death related to intrapartum difficulty
  • Previous baby with neonatal encephalopathy
  • Pre-eclampsia requiring preterm birth
  • Placental abruption with adverse outcome
  • Eclampsia
  • Uterine rupture
  • Primary postpartum haemorrhage requiring additional treatment or blood transfusion
  • Caesarean birth
  • Shoulder dystocia
Current pregnancy
  • Multiple birth
  • Placenta praevia
  • Pre-eclampsia or pregnancy-induced hypertension
  • Preterm labour or preterm prelabour rupture of membranes
  • Placental abruption
  • Anaemia – haemoglobin less than 85 g/litre at onset of labour
  • Confirmed intrauterine death
  • Substance misuse
  • Alcohol dependency requiring assessment or treatment
  • Gestational diabetes needing medication
  • Malpresentation – breech or transverse lie
  • Recurrent antepartum haemorrhage
  • Small for gestational age in this pregnancy (less than third centile or reduced growth velocity on ultrasound as defined in the NHS Saving babies lives version 3)
  • Abnormal fetal heart rate, umbilical or fetal doppler studies
  • Ultrasound diagnosis of oligo- or polyhydramnios
Previous gynaecological history
  • Myomectomy
  • Hysterotomy

From: Intrapartum care

Cover of Intrapartum care
Intrapartum care.
NICE Clinical Guidelines, No. 235.
Copyright © NICE 2023.

NCBI Bookshelf. A service of the National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health.