A hospital-based case-controlled study was undertaken to determine mat
ernal and neonatal characteristics associated with fractured clavicle.
A total of 11,604 consecutive vaginal deliveries of liveborn infants
in vertex presentation at the Mount Sinai Hospital from 1988 to 1990 w
ere reviewed. Maternal and neonatal characteristics were compared for
the neonates with and without a diagnosis of a fractured clavicle. Com
pared to controls, mothers of neonates with a fractured clavicle were
more likely to be nulliparas or primiparas, to have had an operative v
aginal delivery, and to have been delivered by an attending as opposed
to a resident physician. The fractured clavicle group also had a long
er gestational age, greater birthweight, and higher frequency of macro
somic infants. After controlling for maternal parity, type of delivery
and infant birthweight, experience of the delivering physician, and g
estational age at delivery were not significantly different. Fracture
of the clavicle in the neonate is related to maternal parity, mode of
delivery, and infant birthweight but not to the level of experience of
the delivering physician.