dear Judy,

are you interested in guidelines for anything?  For example, Campbell’s survey (British Journal of Obstetrics & Gynaecology 106, June 1999) identified a wide range of selection criteria for place of birth. These criteria vary widely between trusts as previously expected. One interesting finding is that none of the 128 different individual criteria was mentioned by all 22 trusts in Campbell's study.

You mentioned that you looked at UK units and that you are interested in Canada and the US, however, if you are interested in guidelines for referral from primary to secondary care and from midwives to obstetricians you might also want look at the Dutch referral criteria.  Ros Bryar and I have written something about these not too long ago.  In: Teijlingen van E., Bryar R., Selection guidelines for place of birth, Modern Midwife, 6, 1996: 24-27.