Great Birth Changes

This is a blog emcompassing all of the positive changes that are happening in the birthing world. P

Friday, June 24, 2005

Case for VBACs Bolstered with New Study

Hi,
I thought this was wonderful news for women who are being forced to have repeat c/sec. It bolsters the case against repeat c/sec.

I like the idea of your bolg,positive birth community stories and research.
I am a postpartum doula since 1990 and own a doula service in NYC that employs 13 other doulas. I will pass along the word of your blog.

Ruth Callahan
www.DoulaCare.com
New York, NY

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Patient choice cesarean impairs newborn outcomes Source: American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology 2005; 192: 1433-6 Comparing neonatal outcomes following scheduled repeat cesarean versus a trial of labor for term uncomplicated pregnancies. The choice to undergo elective cesarean delivery may have negative consequences for the newborn, with an increased risk of admission to an advanced care nursery, study results suggest. The authors note, "Potential maternal benefits of patient choice cesarean delivery have been described, but there is no published literature that directly compares neonatal outcomes of elective cesarean to outcomes of uncomplicated pregnancies intending to delivery vaginally." To investigate, Nicholas Fogelson and his colleagues at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, USA, conducted a retrospective study of uncomplicated, term pregnancies, comparing neonatal outcomes between 177 women scheduled for elective repeat cesarean prior to labor and 3134 intended for vaginal birth. Short-term neonatal morbidity was found to be more common after elective repeat cesarean than after a trial of labor, with higher rates of transient tachypnea. Accordingly, newborns delivered by elective cesarean were significantly more often admitted to an intermediate or advanced care nursery, or to neonatal intensive care, than those born to mothers who attempted labor. Fogelson et al therefore conclude that clinicians should counsel women considering elective cesarean in an uncomplicated pregnancy about these potential neonatal issues as well as concerns for the mother's own well-being.