FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO HIGH RATES OF CEASERIAN SECTION

Abstract

The increasing rate of caesarean deliveries is a major concern for public health experts worldwide. A study was conducted from January to September 2022 at the civil hospital Khairpur Mir to determine the rates of C-sections compared to normal vaginal deliveries and to evaluate the factors contributing to their increased rate in women. The study included 354 pregnant women aged 20 to 40 years who were surveyed using a pre-tested, structured questionnaire. The data was then analysed using SPSS version 16. Out of the 354 participants, 129 (36.4%) were aged between 31 to 35 years, 211 (59.6%) were uneducated, and 174 (49.2%) belonged to the middle socio-economic status. Furthermore, 103 (42.9%) women delivered by C-section, while 71 (62.3%) had a normal delivery. 54 (15.3%) participants had a parity of three, of which 19 (7.9%) women delivered by C-section, and 35 (30.7%) delivered by normal vaginal delivery. The study found that factors such as maternal age, mother's education, pregnancy complications, utilization of antenatal care, place of birth, area of residence, wealth profiles of mothers, and the number of exercises performed in the last semester were all linked to C-section. The study shows that these factors were the major contributors and strongly associated with higher C-section rates than normal deliveries. Additionally, educational status, occupation, economic status parity, place of C-section, place of ANC visit, and number of ANC visits were also found to be linked to C-section. The p-value was found to be 0.05. In conclusion, this study highlights the need for increased awareness and education on the factors contributing to the high rate of C-section deliveries, and the importance of normal vaginal deliveries for the health and well-being of both mother and child.