Factors predicting Success of Vaginal Birth after Cesarean Section

Abstract

ABSTRACT Aim The aim of this article is to study the various factors that can predict the success of vaginal birth after cesarean (VBAC) section. Materials and methods A retrospective cohort study of deliveries was conducted from 1 January 2014 to 31 December 2014 by the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology in our hospital. Patients with previous low transverse cesarean section who had undergone a trial of labor were identified. Maternal inpatient and prenatal records were reviewed in all eligible subjects. During labor, uterine activity and fetal heart rate were monitored. When indicated, oxytocin or prostaglandin E2 was used for induction of labor according to Bishop score. Emergency cesarean delivery was considered in cases with the appearance of scar tenderness, fetal distress, nonprogress of labor, and deep transverse arrest. Results A total of 200 women were eligible for VBAC, but after written informed consent, 131 (65.5%) subjects were given trial of labor at term after one prior cesarean delivery among 3,604 deliveries while 69 (34.5%) subjects opted for elective repeat cesarean section. The overall VBAC success rate was 63.3% (76 of 120) in our study. History of spontaneous labor (p = 0.042) and history of previous vaginal delivery (p = 0.038) were found to be significantly associated with increased chance of success of VBAC, and lesser interdelivery interval was not found to be associated with decreased success rate (p = 0.096). Neither indication of previous cesarean nor birth weight of newborn (>3 kg) was found to be related to the success of VBAC. Conclusion Vaginal birth after cesarean section is a safe practice as long as it is offered with a proper selection of candidates with factors having a high success rate. Physicians need to be aware of factors having a good outcome before counseling mothers so that failure rates decrease and successful VBAC is increased. How to cite this article Verma ML, Nisha S, Singh U, Sankhwar PL, Qureshi S. Factors predicting Success of Vaginal Birth after Cesarean Section. J South Asian Feder Obst Gynae 2016;8(3):198-201.