Outcomes of birth options after a previous #Cesarean section

A large cohort study of women who have had one or more previous #Cesarean sections suggests that attempting a vaginal birth in a subsequent #pregnancy is associated with higher health risks to both the mother and the infant than electing for another #Cesarean. The research, published in PLOS Medicine on Sept. 24, 2019, addresses a lack of information on the outcomes of birth options after previous cesarean section and can be used to counsel women about their choices.

Around the world there have been increases in #cesarean section deliveries, leading to a larger proportion of pregnant women with a history of #cesarean section. Guidelines recommend that these women be counseled about the benefits and harms of planning a subsequent #cesarean or attempting a vaginal birth yet there is little evidence around this.

Kathryn Fitzpatrick of the Nuffield Department of Population Health, University of Oxford, and colleagues used data from 74,043 full-term births of single babies in Scotland between 2002 and 2015. For women who have had previous cesarean sections, the researchers estimated the short term maternal and perinatal #health outcomes associated with attempting a vaginal birth compared to planning another cesarean section. 45,579 #women gave birth by planned cesarean and 28,464 attempted #vaginal birth, 28.4% of whom went on to have an emergency #cesarean section