Rates of cesarean section and perinatal outcome: stillbirths

Recommendations for routine reporting on indications for cesarean delivery in developing countries

BACKGROUND

Cesarean delivery rates are increasing rapidly in many developing countries, particularly among wealthy women. Poor women have lower rates, often so low that they do not reach the minimum rate of 1 percent. Little data are available on clinical indications for cesarean section, information that could assist in understanding why cesarean delivery rates have changed. This paper presents recommendations for routine reporting on indications for cesarean delivery in developing countries. These recommendations resulted from an international consultation of researchers held in February 2006 to promote the collection of comparable data to understand change in, or composition of, the cesarean delivery rate in developing countries.

METHODS

Data are presented from selected countries, categorizing cesareans by three classification systems.

RESULTS

A single classification system was recommended for use in both high and low cesarean delivery rate settings, given that underuse and overuse of cesarean section are evident within many populations. The group recommended a hierarchical categorization, prioritizing cesareans performed for absolute maternal indications. Categorization among the remaining nonabsolute indications is based on the primary indication for the procedure and include maternal and fetal indications and psychosocial indications, required for high cesarean delivery rate settings.

CONCLUSIONS

Data on indications for cesarean sections are available everywhere the procedure is performed. All that is required is compilation and review at facility and at higher levels. Advocacy within ministries of health and medical professional organizations is required to advance these recommendations since researchers have inadequately communicated the health effects of both underuse and overuse of cesarean delivery.

A new method to examine very low birth weight fetal and hebdomadal mortality in a regionalized system of perinatal care

OBJECTIVE

Aggressive maternal transport of very low birth weight (VLBW) live births from community hospitals to regional perinatal centers may artificially increase community fetal death rates. By allocating maternal transports according to the location of antepartum and intrapartum care and separately computing antepartum and intrapartum fetal mortality rates, a more appropriate measure of hospital-based mortality may be determined.

METHOD

Delivery charts were reviewed for 568 VLBW deliveries (including 97 fetal deaths and 77 hebdomadal deaths) occurring between 1990 and 1992 in a geographically defined perinatal region. Maternal transports were analyzed with community hospitals for antepartum mortality rates and with the regional center for intrapartum mortality rates.

RESULTS

Using traditional methods, the fetal mortality rates for community hospitals and the regional center were antepartum 385.1 vs. 45.2, respectively, and intrapartum 120.9 vs. 24.9, respectively. When regional center live births (maternal transports) are placed with community hospitals for analysis of antepartum mortality, the new antepartum mortality rates were 185.7 vs. 72.8, respectively. The hebdomadal mortality rate for community hospitals was 250.0 as compared to 145.8 for the regional center.

CONCLUSION

Maternal transports to a regional center represent successful antepartum management by community care providers. Even though they delivered in the regional center, they should be analyzed with community hospitals for antepartum fetal mortality comparisons. Therefore, antepartum and intrapartum fetal mortality should be examined separately in a functioning regionalized perinatal care program where the location of patient care differs from location of delivery.