Share

How safe is vaginal delivery after a Caesarean birth?

accreditation

Once a woman gives birth by Caesarean section, attempting a vaginal delivery is far riskier for mother and baby alike, a new study finds.

Researchers at the University of Oxford collected data on more than 70 000 births in Scotland between 2002 and 2015. Among women who attempted a vaginal delivery after a previous C-section, 28% had to have an emergency Caesarean, they reported.

Attempting vaginal delivery was associated with an added risk of uterine rupture, blood transfusion, body-wide infection and injury from surgery.

The risks for the infant include stillbirth, admission to a neonatal unit and resuscitation using drugs or intubation.

Low absolute risk

For mothers, the absolute risk of any of these complications, however, was low – 2% in those attempting a vaginal birth and 1% of those having a C-section.

Babies suffered one or more complications in 8% of attempted vaginal births and 6% of subsequent C-sections, the study found.

Kathryn Fitzpatrick, an epidemiologist at Oxford's Nuffield Department of Population Health, led the study, which was published online in the journal PLOS Medicine.

"Our findings can be used to counsel and manage women with previous Caesarean section and should be considered alongside existing evidence on the increased risk of serious maternal morbidity in subsequent pregnancies associated with elective repeat Caesarean section," she said in journal news release.

Image credit: iStock

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE