Table 1 Background characteristics of non-crying infants at birth, N = 3031

1. Maternal age (Mean ± SD)

23.48 ± 4.11

23.68 ± 4.17

23.60 ± 4.15

0.198

2. Disadvantaged Ethnic group

70.2% (67.5–72.8)

72.0% (69.9–74.1)

71.3% (69.7–72.9)

0.284

3. Illiterate mothers

7.1% (5.5–9.0)

6.4% (5.2–7.8)

6.7% (5.7–7.7)

0.485

 Male

62.0% (59.2–64.8)

64.9% (62.7–67.0)

63.8% (62.0–65.5)

0.113

 Female

38.0% (35.2–40.8)

35.1% (33.0–37.3)

36.2% (34.5–38.0)

5. Maternal complication during delivery

1.6% (0.9–2.6)

2.7% (1.9–3.7)

2.3% (1.7–3.0)

0.063

6. Augmentation of labour

49.0% (46.0–51.9)

55.8% (53.4–58.2)

53.1% (51.3–55.0)

0.000

7. Abnormal Fetal heart rate during delivery

3% (2.0–4.2)

2.5% (1.7–3.5)

2.7% (2.1–3.5)

0.452

8. Episiotomy performed

48.2% (45.3–51.2)

52.2% (49.6–54.9)

50.5% (48.5–52.4)

0.045

 Spontaneous vaginal

89.5% (87.6–91.2)

88.4% (86.9–89.9)

88.8% (87.7–89.9)

0.362

 Instrumental

9.6% (7.9–11.4)

8.7% (7.4–10.0)

9.0% (8.0–10.1)

0.402

 Assisted breech

0.9% (0.5–1.7)

2.9% (2.2–3.8)

2.1% (1.7–2.7)

0.000

 Nullipara

51.7% (48.5–54.9)

50.6% (48.2–53.1)

51.0% (49.1–53.0)

0.603

 Primipara

30.6% (27.7–33.6)

31.0% (28.7–33.3)

30.8% (29.0–32.6)

0.845

 Multipara

17.7% (15.4–20.3)

18.4% (16.5–20.4)

18.1% (16.7–19.7)

0.661

11. Low birth weight

22.7% (20.3–25.2)

22.6% (20.7–24.6)

22.6% (21.2–24.2)

0.947

12. Preterm birth

9.6% (8.0–11.5)

16.4% (14.7–18.1)

13.8% (12.6–15.0)

0.000

13. Multiple birth

2.4% (1.6–3.4)

3.1% (2.4–4.0)

2.8% (2.3–3.5)

0.233

14. Malformation of newborn infants

1.4% (0.8–2.3)

2.3% (1.5–3.3)

1.9% (1.4–2.5)

0.121

15. Infants with meconium stained amniotic fluid at birth

29.8% (27.2–32.5)

23.7% (21.7–25.7)

26.1% (24.5–27.7)

0.000