Are There “Unnecessary” Cesarean Sections? Perceptions of Women and Obstetricians About Cesarean Sections for Nonclinical Indications

ABSTRACT: Background: The belief that many women demand cesarean sections in the absence of clinical indications appears to be pervasive. The aim of this study was to examine whether, and in what context, maternal requests for cesarean section are made. Methods: Quantitative and qualitative methods were used. The overall study comprised 4 substudies: 23 multiparous and 41 primiparous pregnant women were asked to complete diaries recording events related to birth planning and expectations; 44 women who had considered, or been asked to consider, cesarean section during pregnancy were interviewed postnatally; 24 consultants and registrars in 3 district hospitals and 1 city hospital were interviewed; 5 consultants with known strong views about cesarean section were also interviewed; and 785 consultants from the United Kingdom and Eire completed postal questionnaires. Results: No woman requested cesarean section in the absence of, what she considered, clinical or psychological indications. Fear for themselves or their baby appeared to be major factors behind women’s requests for cesarean section, coupled with the belief that cesarean section was safest for the baby. Most obstetricians reported few requests for cesarean section, but nevertheless, cited maternal request as the most important factor affecting the national rising cesarean section rate. Several obstetricians discussed the significance of women’s fears and the importance of taking the time to talk to women about these fears. Conclusions: Existing evidence for large numbers of women requesting cesarean sections in the absence of clinical indications is weak. This study supports the thesis that these women comprise a small minority. Psychological issues and maternal perceptions of risk appear to be significant factors in many maternal requests. Despite this finding, maternal request is perceived by obstetricians to be a major factor in driving the cesarean section rate upward. (BIRTH 34:1 March 2007)     

Estimating the Rate of Cesarean Section by Maternal Request: Anonymous Survey of Obstetricians in Australia

Background: The rate of cesarean section in Australia now exceeds 30 percent, and evidence from population studies indicates that maternal requests for elective cesarean delivery might make an important contribution. The objective of this study was to explore the rate of such deliveries in Australia, in the absence of a formal investigation. Methods: An anonymous survey was sent to all 1,239 specialist obstetricians and 317 obstetric specialty trainees in Australia. Specialists were asked the number of elective cesarean deliveries they performed in 2006 that satisfied the National Institutes of Health definition of maternal request cesarean delivery. Trainees were asked whether they intended to agree to maternal requests for cesarean section in their future specialist practice. Results: The response rate from specialists was 98.6 percent, and from trainees was 81 percent. To account for possibility of multiple submissions, we performed two analyses: one using all responses, the other after removing 297 surveys in the second mail‐out that were identical to surveys received from the first mail‐out (n = 735). Proportions were similar in both groups. We estimated that between 8,553 and 12,434 maternal request cesarean sections were performed in Australia in 2006, representing at least 17 percent of all elective cesarean sections, and slightly more than 3 percent of all births. Conclusion: Maternal request is an important contributor to cesarean section rates in Australia.     

Cesarean and Vaginal Birth in Canadian Women: A Comparison of Experiences

Abstract: Background: Many publications have examined the reasons behind the rising cesarean delivery rate around the world. Women’s responses to the Maternity Experiences Survey of the Canadian Perinatal Surveillance System were examined to explore correlates of having a cesarean section on other experiences surrounding labor, birth, mother‐infant contact, and breastfeeding. Methods: A randomly selected sample of 8,244 estimated eligible women stratified primarily by province and territory was drawn from the May 2006 Canadian Census. Completed responses were obtained from 6,421 women (78%). Results: Three‐quarters of the women (73.7%) gave birth vaginally and 26.3 percent by cesarean section, including 13.5 percent with a planned cesarean and 12.8 percent with an unplanned cesarean. In addition to more interventions in labor, women who had a cesarean birth after attempting a vaginal birth had less mother‐infant contact after birth and less optimal breastfeeding practices. Conclusion: Findings from the Maternity Experiences Survey indicated that women who have cesarean births experience more interventions during labor and birth and have less optimal birthing and early parenting outcomes. (BIRTH 37:1 March 2010)     

Counseling Women with a Previous Cesarean Birth: Toward a Shared Decision‐Making Partnership

Pregnant women who had a previous cesarean birth must choose whether to have a repeat cesarean or to attempt a vaginal birth. Many of these women are candidates for a trial of labor. Current practice guidelines recommend that women should be thoroughly counseled during prenatal care about the benefits and harms of both a trial of labor after cesarean (TOLAC) and an elective repeat cesarean delivery and be offered the opportunity to make an informed decision about mode of birth in collaboration with their provider. The purpose of this article is to improve the process of counseling, decision making, and informed consent by increasing health care providers' knowledge about the essential elements of shared decision making. Factors that affect the decisions to be made and concepts that are critical for effective counseling are explored, including clinical considerations, women's perspectives, decision‐making models, health literacy and numeracy, communicating risk, and the use of decision aids. Issues related to birth sites for TOLAC are also discussed, including access, safety, refusal of surgery, and clinical management.     

Cesarean Section Rates and Maternal and Neonatal Mortality in Low‐, Medium‐, and High‐Income Countries: An Ecological Study

ABSTRACT: Background: Cesarean section rates show a wide variation among countries in the world, ranging from 0.4 to 40 percent, and a continuous rise in the trend has been observed in the past 30 years. Our aim was to explore the association of cesarean section rates of different countries with their maternal and neonatal mortality and to test the hypothesis that in low‐income countries, increasing cesarean section rates were associated with reductions in both outcomes, whereas in high‐income countries, such association did not exist. Methods: We performed a cross‐sectional multigroup ecological study using data from 119 countries from 1991 to 2003. These countries were classified into 3 categories: low‐income (59 countries), medium‐income (31 countries), and high‐income (29 countries) countries according to an international classification. We assessed the ecological association between national cesarean section rates and maternal and neonatal mortality by fitting multiple linear regression models. Results: Median cesarean section rates were lower in low‐income than in medium‐ and high‐income countries. Seventy‐six percent of the low‐income countries, 16 percent of the medium‐income countries, and 3 percent of high‐income countries showed cesarean section rates between 0 and 10 percent. Three percent of low‐income countries, 36 percent of medium‐income countries, and 31 percent of high‐income countries showed cesarean section rates above 20 percent. In low‐income countries, a negative and statistically significant linear correlation was observed between cesarean section rates and neonatal mortality and between cesarean section rates and maternal mortality. No association was observed in medium‐ and high‐income countries for either neonatal mortality or maternal mortality. Conclusions: No association between cesarean section rates and maternal or neonatal mortality was shown in medium‐ and high‐income countries. Thus, it becomes relevant for future good‐quality research to assess the effect of the high figures of cesarean section rates on maternal and neonatal morbidity. For low‐income countries, and on confirmation by further research, making cesarean section available for high‐risk pregnancies could contribute to improve maternal and neonatal outcomes, whereas a system of care with cesarean section rates below 10 percent would be unlikely to cover their needs. (BIRTH 33:4 December 2006)     

Outcomes Associated with Planned Home and Planned Hospital Births in Low‐Risk Women Attended by Midwives in Ontario,Canada, 2003–2006: A Retrospective Cohort Study

Background: Midwives in Ontario, Canada, provide care in the home and hospital and are required to submit data for all births to the Ontario Ministry of Health database. The purpose of this study was to compare maternal and perinatal/neonatal mortality and morbidity and intrapartum intervention rates for women attended by Ontario midwives who planned a home birth compared with similar low‐risk women who planned a hospital birth between 2003 and 2006. Methods: The database provided outcomes for all women planning a home birth at the onset of labor (n = 6,692) and for a cohort, stratified by parity, of similar low‐risk women planning a hospital birth. Results: The rate of perinatal and neonatal mortality was very low (1/1,000) for both groups, and no difference was shown between groups in perinatal and neonatal mortality or serious morbidity (2.4% vs 2.8%; relative risk [RR], 95% confidence intervals [CI]: 0.84 [0.68–1.03]). No maternal deaths were reported. All measures of serious maternal morbidity were lower in the planned home birth group as were rates for all interventions including cesarean section (5.2% vs 8.1%; RR [95% CI]: 0.64 [0.56, 0.73]). Nulliparas were less likely to deliver at home, and had higher rates of ambulance transport from home to hospital than multiparas planning home birth and had rates of intervention and outcomes similar to, or lower than, nulliparas planning hospital births. Conclusions: Midwives who were integrated into the health care system with good access to emergency services, consultation, and transfer of care provided care resulting in favorable outcomes for women planning both home or hospital births.