Background: As rates for cesarean births continue to rise, more women are faced with the choice to plan a vaginal or a repeat cesarean birth after a previous cesarean. The objective of this population-based retrospective cohort study was to compare the safety of planned vaginal birth with cesarean birth after 1-2 previous cesarean sections.
Methods: We identified singleton term births in British Columbia from 2000 to 2008 using data from the British Columbia Perinatal Data Registry. Women carrying a singleton fetus in cephalic presentation at term (37-41 weeks of gestation completed) with 1-2 prior cesarean births were included. Those with gestational hypertension, pre-existing diabetes and cardiac disease were excluded. Maternal and neonatal outcomes were classified as either life-threatening or non-life threatening. We compared outcomes among women with none versus at least 1 previous vaginal birth, by planned method of delivery. We estimated relative risks (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for composite outcomes using Poisson regression.
Results: Of the 33 812 women in the sample, 5406 had a history of vaginal delivery and 28 406 did not. The composite risk for life-threatening maternal outcomes was elevated among women planning vaginal compared with cesarean birth both with and without a prior vaginal birth (RR 2.06, 95% CI 1.20-3.52) and (2.52, 95% CI 2.04-3.11). Absolute differences (attributable risk [AR]) were 1.01% and 1.31% respectively. Non-life threatening maternal outcomes were decreased among women planning a vaginal birth if they had had at least 1 prior vaginal delivery (RR 0.51, 95% CI 0.33-0.77; AR 1.17%). The composite risk of intrapartum stillbirth, neonatal death or life-threatening neonatal outcomes did not differ among women planning vaginal or cesarean birth with a prior vaginal delivery and non-life threatening neonatal outcomes were decreased, (RR 0.67, 95% CI 0.52-0.86); AR 1.92%).
Interpretation: After 1 or 2 previous cesarean births, risks for adverse outcomes between planned vaginal and cesarean birth are reduced among women with a prior vaginal birth. Our data offer women and their health care providers the opportunity to consider risk profiles separately for women who have and have not had a prior vaginal delivery.