Contemporary Trends in Cesarean Delivery Rates andIndications.

Abstract

To describe cesarean delivery rates and indications at a single center in order to assess the impact of the guidelines published by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine on trends in labor management. Retrospective cohort study of patients ≥23 weeks' gestation delivering at a single tertiary care referral center from 2013-2018. Demographic characteristics, mode of delivery, and main indication for cesarean delivery were ascertained by individual chart review. Cesarean delivery indications (mutually exclusive) were: repeat cesarean delivery, non-reassuring fetal status, malpresentation, maternal indications (e.g., placenta previa or genital herpes simplex virus), failed labor (any stage labor arrest), or other (i.e., fetal anomaly, elective). Polynomial (cubic) regression models were used to model rates of cesarean delivery and indications over time. Subgroup analyses further examined trends in nulliparous women. Of the 24,637 patients delivered during the study period, 24,050 were included in the analysis; 7,835 (32.6%) had a cesarean delivery. The rates of overall cesarean delivery were significantly different over time (p<0.001), declining to a minimum of 30.9% in 2014 and peaking at 34.6% in 2018. With regards to the overall cesarean delivery indications, there were no significant differences over time. When limited to nulliparous patients, the rates of cesarean delivery were also noted to be significantly different over time (p=0.02) nadiring at 30% in 2015 from 35.4% in 2013 and then rising up to 33.9% in 2018. As for nulliparous patients, there was no significant difference in primary cesarean delivery indications over time except for non-reassuring fetal status (p=0.049). Despite changes in labor management definitions and guidelines encouraging vaginal birth, the rates of overall cesarean delivery did not decrease over time. The indications for delivery, particularly failed labor, repeat cesarean delivery, and malpresentation have not significantly changed over time.