While hospital administrative data are readily available, data quality is a valid concern. However, if the data are viewed critically and information on accuracy is available, they can be a useful resource for monitoring the health of mothers and babies.

Objective: To assess trends and outcomes of postpartum haemorrhage (PPH) in New South Wales (NSW). Methods: A population‐based descriptive study of all 52,151 women who had a PPH either during the hospital stay for the birth of their baby or requiring a re‐admission to hospital between 1994 and 2002. Data were obtained from the de‐identified computerised census of NSW hospital in‐patients and analysed to examine trends over time. The outcome measures included maternal death, hysterectomy, admission to intensive care unit (ICU), transfusion and major maternal morbidity, including procedures to reduce blood supply to the uterus, acute renal failure and postpartum coaqulation defects. Results: From 1994 to 2002 both the number and adjusted (for under‐reporting) rate of PPH during the birth admission increased from 8.3% of deliveries to 10.7%. The rate of PPH adjusted for maternal age and mode of delivery was similar to the unadjusted rate. There was a sixfold increase in the rate of transfusions from 1.9% of women who haemorrhaged to 11.7%. Hospital readmissions for PPH declined from 1.2% of deliveries to 0.9%. These were statistically significant changes. There were no significant changes in the rate of hysterectomies, procedures to reduce blood supply to the uterus, admissions to ICU, acute renal failure or coagulation defects. Conclusion: The increased rate of PPH during the birth admission is concerning. The increase in PPH could not be explained by increasing maternal age or caesarean sections. Linked birth and hospital discharge data could determine whether the increase in PPH is caused by other changes in obstetric practices or population.

Objective: To estimate the risks of maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality in a second pregnancy, attributable to caesarean section in a first pregnancy. Design and setting: Cross‐sectional analytic study of hospital births in New South Wales, based on linked population databases. Participants: 136 101 women with one previous birth who gave birth to a singleton infant in NSW in 1998–2002. Main outcome measures: Crude and adjusted odds ratios (aOR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) for maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality. Results: 19% of mothers had a caesarean section in their first pregnancy. Compared with mothers who had had primary vaginal births, mothers who had had primary caesarean section and undewent labour in the second birth were at increased risk of uterine rupture (aOR, 12.3; 95% CI, 5.0–30.1; P < 0.0001), hysterectomy (3.5; 1.5–8.4; P < 0.01), postpartum haemorrhage (PPH) following vaginal delivery (1.6; 1.4–1.7; P < 0.0001), manual removal of placenta (1.3; 1.1–1.6; P < 0.01), infection (6.2; 4.7–8.2; P < 0.0001) and intensive care unit (ICU) admission (3.1; 2.1–4.7; P < 0.0001); among mothers who did not undergo labour (ie, had an elective caesarean section), there was a lower risk of PPH (0.6; 0.5–0.7; P < 0.0001) and ICU admission (0.4; 0.3–0.5; P < 0.0001). For infants there was increased risk of preterm delivery (1.2; 1.1–1.3; P < 0.0001) and neonatal intensive care unit admission following labour (1.6; 1.4–1.9; P < 0.0001) in the birth after primary caesarean section. The occurrence of stillbirth was not modified by labour. Conclusions: Caesarean section in a first pregnancy confers additional risks on the second pregnancy, primarily associated with labour. These should be considered at the time caesarean section in the first pregnancy is being considered, particularly for elective caesarean section for non‐medical reasons.

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For women with placenta praevia, the risk of major morbidity is high, yet 39% deliver in hospitals without immediate access to a 24-h blood bank. Australian guidelines on the appropriate level of care for women with placenta praevia are needed.