Multiple c-sections tied to maternal complications

	Tweet

The risk of major complications for the mother increases significantly when a woman undergoes several cesarean deliveries, according to researchers based in Israel.

“We believe that a decrease in multiple cesareans is especially important for women who desire many children,” Dr. Victoria Nisenblat told Reuters Health.

“This is possible,” she added, “by doing the best we can to reduce the number of first cesareans and perhaps even more important, increasing the percentage of vaginal births after cesareans in such populations.”

Nisenblat from Bnai-Zion Medical Center, Haifa, and colleagues evaluated the maternal complications associated with three or more cesarean deliveries compared with a second planned cesarean delivery by examining medical records of women who underwent repeat cesarean deliveries at their hospital.

Surgical difficulties, such as excessive blood loss, prolonged or difficult delivery, and dense adhesions were significantly more likely for the 277 women in the multiple-cesarean group than the 491 women in the second-cesarean group, the team reports in the medical journal Obstetrics & Gynecology.

The proportion of women having any major complication was significantly higher in the multiple-cesarean group (8.7 percent) than in the second-cesarean group (4.3 percent), the researchers note. In fact, the major complication rate increased from 7.5 percent with a third c-section to 12.5 percent with a fourth or more cesarean.

“When, after the first cesarean, the route of delivery is discussed with the patient, the doctor should take into consideration the family planning of this specific woman,” Nisenblat recommended.

“In the case of additional pregnancies planned, a vaginal birth after cesarean trial should be proposed,” she advised.

SOURCE: Obstetrics & Gynecology, July 2006.

RELATED STORIES:
Pill Among Least Effective Birth Control Methods   70 percent of women use contraceptives during their first sexual encounter   Long-term contraception more effective than pills   Gay couples and women over 40 to get free IVF treatment on NHS   Health secretary urges contraception compromise   Contraceptive ring, patch carry blood clot risks   Reminder Stamp Boosts HPV Vaccination   Study adds to evidence on clot risks of non-oral contraceptives   HPV vaccine completion rate among girls is poor, getting worse   Some ob-gyns cite religious conflicts over care   After IVF, some couples get pregnant without help   Web Tool Offers Map to Menopause   Early Menopause Could Also Mean Early Death   Does soy help cool hot flashes after all?   Caffeine not tied to worsening urinary incontinence

Comments

[ + Post Your Own ]

Now you're in the public comment zone. What follows is not Armenian Medical Network's stuff; it comes from other people and we don't vouch for it. A reminder: By using this Web site you agree to accept our Terms of Service. Click here to read the Rules of Engagement.

There are no comments for this entry yet. [ + Comment here + ]