Elective Cesarean

Hablar de bioética en la época contemporánea nos obliga a hacer referencia a algunos temas que día a día generan controversias en el área de la medicina y la salud. Sin lugar a duda uno de estos temas es el que tiene relación con el uso excesivo y en ocasiones innecesario de la operación cesárea,
la cual, aunque debería ser una cirugía reservada únicamente a casos en los que el parto por vía vaginal sea riesgoso, en la actualidad se constituye como una alternativa que ya no toma de manera exclusiva y razonada el médico, sino que incluso es una opción que el mismo paciente elige. El presente artículo tiene por objetivo hacer un planteamiento ético sobre la práctica de la operación cesárea, considerando que aunque es obligación del médico respetar la autonomía de sus pacientes,
también es su deber el orientarlos sobre los beneficios y riesgos de cualquiera de sus decisiones. Los principios de bioética del profesionista de la salud nos permiten hacer una valoración del ejercicio médico, poniendo especial atención en la decisión de elegir de manera racional una operación cesárea sobre el parto por vía vaginal.

Objective: To compare intra-and postoperative surgical complications of opportunistic bilateral total salpingectomy during postpartum permanent contraception procedures in elective and unscheduled cesarean delivery. Study design: We conducted a retrospective cohort study (2010-2017) of women who had postpartum permanent contraception procedures during cesarean delivery, and we collected baseline characteristics, scheduling of delivery (elective versus unscheduled), operative time, estimated blood loss (EBL) and surgical complications (bleeding, iatrogenic injury, infection, anemia and relaparotomy). We classified patients according to contraceptive technique: bilateral total salpingectomy, bilateral partial salpingectomy with or without fimbriae, and other methods. Results: Five hundred twenty-eight women underwent postpartum permanent contraception procedures, 245 (46.4%) had bilateral total salpingectomy, 239 (45.3%) had bilateral partial salpingectomy, and 48 (8.3%) underwent other methods. We did not find differences in baseline characteristics, operative time and EBL among postpartum permanent contraception groups. Unscheduled cesarean delivery did not influence the choice of postpartum permanent contraception technique (p=.22). Postpartum permanent contraception-related intraoperative bleeding occurred in 1 (0.4%) and 2 (0.9%) patients, respectively, in bilateral total and partial salpingectomy group (p=.23). Postoperative complications were 13 (5.3%) and 6 (2.5%), respectively, in bilateral total and partial salpingectomy groups (p=.11). Subgroup analysis confirmed no differences for intra-and postoperative complications during unscheduled cesarean delivery. We noted a 4.3-min increase in operative time for total salpingectomy after multivariate analysis (pb.01). Conclusion: At maternal request for postpartum permanent contraception during cesarean delivery, bilateral total salpingectomy can be a safe and feasible method even in case of unscheduled cesarean delivery. Implications statement: Our results suggest that bilateral total salpingectomy during any cesarean delivery may be an acceptable choice for its higher contraceptive efficacy and risk-reduction effect for ovarian cancer, at the price of a small increase in operative time.

Depuis l’Antiquité, on se livre à des calculs pour estimer la durée de la grossesse. Au fil du temps, la notion de terme gestationnel a changé de sens, passant de l’idée d’intervalle pendant lequel la naissance survient, spontanément (lorsque le « fruit est mûr »), à un concept normatif postulant une « durée optimale de grossesse » de plus en plus serrée et assorti d’une « date prévue d’accouchement ». Le passage d’une appréhension naturaliste à une construction logicomathématique du terme gestationnel, conjugué à la découverte de moyens de « produire la naissance » à la demande, a entraîné la pratique sans cesse en augmentation – dans le monde « médicalement occidentalisé » – du déclenchement artificiel de l’accouchement et de la césarienne programmée. L’article propose un examen critique de la rationalité sur laquelle s’appuie cette programmation et en présente les implications insuffisamment appréciées.

Plan de l'article

    ◀ Prévoir la durée de la grossesse : l’histoire d’un calcul et de ses implications
    ◀ Formaliser la durée « optimale » de la grossesse
    ◀ Produire l’accouchement
        ■ Méthodes
        ■ Incidence
        ■ Motifs
    ◀ La césarienne programmée, ou le déclenchement « chirurgical »
    ◀ Repenser le terme selon des paramètres biologiques, évolutionnaires
    ◀ Contrer la mortinaissance et la peur du ventre maternel... par la production iatrogène de prématurés
    ◀ Naît-on encore ?

In Brazil the vast majority of primiparous women, on discovering that they are pregnant, hope to have normal deliveries. However, in over half of such cases surgical deliveries ensue. This mismatch between what pregnant women desire and what they actually experience is not exclusive to Brazil, but takes place in several Western countries. Through Corpus Linguistics (CL)-based Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) of vaginal birth after c-section (VBAC) stories we seek to shed light on the social problem of a mismatch between the desired experience and the actual experience. VBAC stories seemed to us the ideal discourse for revealing elements of this mismatch, since they address both the experience of an unwanted (and usually wrongly indicated) prior C-section and that of the desired, and achieved, delivery. The theoretical-methodological approach we have adopted brings together CDA (Fairclough, 1989, 1992; Chouliaraki & Fairclough, 1999; Fairclough, 2003); CL (Stubbs, 1993, McEnery & Wilson, 1997 e 2003, Tognini-Bonelli, 2001), and Corpus-based Critical Discourse Analysis (Baker et al 2008; Baker, 2013; Baker & McEnery, 2005; Flowerdew, 2014). An electronic corpus was compiled in English and Portuguese for this study. The corpus is made up of texts written by women who have experienced VBAC and includes no mediated texts (i.e. interviews and third-party reports). The BRABA Corpus (Corpus of the birth stories of Brazilian, American, British and Australian women) encompasses four subcorpora respectively: Corpus BRA (93 stories, 250,807 words), Corpus USA (101 stories, 225,736 words), Corpus UK (97 stories, 92,197 words), and Corpus AU (92 stories, 200,639 words. The first two of these subcorporaCorpus BRA and Corpus USAwere chosen for this study, which investigates how identities and birth experiences are represented in the accounts of Brazilian and American women, and thus through this investigation uncovers elements that will shed light on the selected social problem. The computer processing used AntConc 3.4.0w (Anthony, 2012) and CL tools (frequency lists, keyword lists, concordance lines, etc.). Analysis was guided by keywords corresponding to the people mentioned in the stories and by the most statistically significant collocates of these keywords. From Corpus BRA the words were: eu (collocates: desisto, renasci, mamava); bebê (encaixado, morrer/morresse, sexo, batimentos, alto); marido (companheiro, apoiou, cortou); doula (amada, obstetriz, querida, presença); médico (fofa/fofinha, mudar/mudei, cesarista, ginecologista, humanizada); anestesista; enfermeira (obstétrica/obstetra, cadê, soro, chamar); parteira (liguei/ligar, doula, casa); obstetriz (doula, toque). From Corpus USA: I (wish, protested, lamented); baby (pound, girl, boy); midwife (certified, asst/assistant, student, assist); doula (hired, friend, called); nurse (practitioner, tells, triage); doctor (office, seen, comes); anesthesiologist; husband (poor, run, children). Analysis enabled this social problem to be laid bare in both societies, revealing discourse and cultural similarities and differences. The mismatch between the desired and the experienced outcomes is represented as having been caused by a succession of discrete events. In both corpora, experiences are represented, and self-identity and other identities are notably constructed in discourse under the aegis of features of modernity, above all, under reflexivity, which, in the discourses of VBAC stories takes place through empowerment, understood as self-actualization through newly gathered knowledge and ensuing courses of action/measures (Giddens, 2002).

Objective: To evaluate effects of exercise during pregnancy in asymptomatic singleton pregnancies without prior spontaneous preterm birth (SPTB) but with short transvaginal ultrasound cervical length (TVU CL). Study design: This is a secondary analysis of the Italian Pessary Trial for the Italian Preterm Birth Prevention (IPP) Working Group. In the original prospective randomized controlled trial asymptomatic singleton pregnancies without prior SPTB but with TVU CL 25 mm at 18 0/6–23 6/7 weeks were randomized into 1:1 ratio to either cervical pessary or no pessary. During their follow-up visits, women were asked about their activity. For the purpose of this secondary analysis, women were classified in the following groups, using the information obtained in the follow-up visit one month after randomization: 1) Exercise group, defined as women performing exercise !2 days a week for !20 min each day. 2) No exercise group, defined as women performing exercise <2 days a week for !20 min each day. The primary outcome of this secondary analysis was PTB < 37 weeks. Results: 300 women were included in this analysis. 99 (33.0%) were included in the exercise group. 201 (67.0%) were included in the no exercise group. Of the 201 women in the no exercise group, 90 (44.8%) affirmed that they had reduced their activity after the diagnosis of short cervix despite the research staff recommendations, while the other 111 (55.2%) women performed a sedentary life style even before the diagnosis of short cervix. PTB < 37 weeks occurred in 22 women (22.2%) in the exercise group, and 66 women (32.8%) in the no exercise group (aOR 0.65, 95% CI 0.33–1.03). Conclusion: In asymptomatic singleton pregnancies with short cervix, performing exercise !2 days a week for !20 min each day does not increase the risk of PTB but is indeed associated with a non-significant reduction in PTB < 37 weeks by 32%.

This is an exploratory study of women’s childbearing decisions and outcomes in non- medically indicated cesarean section childbirths (CS). Focusing on the structure-agency dichotomy, the research is guided by Anthony Giddens’ theory of structuration used in the context of the medicalization framework in order to analyze elements of personal choice and medical jurisdiction in childbearing methods. Quantitative analysis of secondary data and a thematic content analysis of Internet forums are conducted in order to analyze women’s perceptions of autonomy and constraint in their childbearing decisions and outcomes. The findings suggest that the polarization between second- and third wave feminist critiques on medical intervention in childbirth, and between structure and agency, impede our understanding of the complex phenomenon. Applying structuration theory to the medicalization framework helps to work through this polarization, further lending support to third-way feminism.

Background:
Al-Jamhouria is the principal maternity hospital in eastern Libya, serving a population approaching two million people. In 2011, armed conflict broke out in Libya which was followed by subsequent civil unrest – placing a heavy strain on the healthcare service. This study aims at performing an observational analysis on the trends of delivery for over a decade while also taking civil unrest into consideration.
Methods:
Patient records were gathered retrospectively from the maternity ward for the twelve-year period between 2002 and 2013. The overall number of births and method of delivery were analyzed.
Results:
Al-Jamhouria hospital delivered nearly a quarter million deliveries (n=228,598) in slightly over a decade. The majority of deliveries were unassisted vaginal (74%, n=169,199), although as a trend the rate was decreasing. Cesarean sections have more than doubled in the last twelve years with particular increases during the conflict period (in favour of other methods). Intrauterine death rates have been fairly constant in the studied period. Since the start of armed conflict, the number of deliveries at Al-Jamhouria hospital has been declining (for the first time in its recorded history).
Conclusion:
Al-Jamhouria hospital has continued to provide healthcare services to pregnant women en masse in eastern Libya – in spite of a myriad of hindrances and a decreasing patient load. Cesarean sections have become more commonplace and their rate has doubled in the last twelve years. The private sector may have potentially helped to relieve the heavy burden on this sole maternity ward. Further studies are needed to determine the short term and long term impact on the health of the population

OBJECTIVE:

To evaluate the benefits and harms of discontinuation of oxytocin after the active phase of labor is reached.
DATA SOURCES:

Electronic databases (ie, MEDLINE, Scopus, ClinicalTrials.gov, EMBASE, ScienceDirect, the Cochrane Library at the CENTRAL Register of Controlled Trials, Scielo) were searched from their inception until April 2017.
METHODS OF STUDY SELECTION:

We included all randomized controlled trials comparing discontinuation (ie, intervention group) and continuation (ie, control group) of oxytocin infusion after the active phase of labor is reached, either after induction or augmentation of labor. Discontinuation of oxytocin infusion was defined as discontinuing oxytocin infusion when the active phase of labor was achieved. Continuation of oxytocin infusion was defined as continuing oxytocin infusion until delivery. Only trials in singleton gestations with vertex presentation at term were included. The primary outcome was the incidence of cesarean delivery.
TABULATION, INTEGRATION, AND RESULTS:

Nine randomized controlled trials, including 1,538 singleton gestations, were identified as relevant and included in the meta-analysis. All nine trials included only women undergoing induction of labor. In the discontinuation group, if arrest of labor occurred, usually defined as no cervical dilation in 2 hours or inadequate uterine contractions for 2 hours or more, oxytocin infusion was restarted. Women in the control group had oxytocin continued until delivery usually at the same dose used at the time the active phase was reached. Women who were randomized to have discontinuation of oxytocin infusion after the active phase of labor was reached had a significantly lower risk of cesarean delivery (9.3% compared with 14.7%; relative risk 0.64, 95% CI 0.48-0.87) and of uterine tachysystole (6.2% compared with 13.1%; relative risk 0.53, 95% CI 0.33-0.84) compared with those who were randomized to have continuation of oxytocin infusion until delivery. Discontinuation of oxytocin infusion was associated with an increase in the duration of the active phase of labor (mean difference 27.65 minutes, 95% CI 3.94-51.36).
CONCLUSION:

In singleton gestations with cephalic presentation at term undergoing induction, discontinuation of oxytocin infusion after the active phase of labor at approximately 5 cm is reached reduces the risk of cesarean delivery and of uterine tachysystole compared with continuous oxytocin infusion. Given this evidence, discontinuation of oxytocin infusion once the active stage of labor is established in women being induced should be considered as an alternative management plan.

increasingly prevalent and is emerging as an urgent issue for individual maternity practitioners, hospitals, and policy makers, as well as for maternity patients. This qualitative study sought to explore women's experiences of the decision-making process leading to elective operative delivery without medical indication.

Objective: To evaluate maternal and neonatal outcomes associated with trial of labor after cesarean (TOLAC) in women with three prior cesarean delivery (CD) and at least one prior vaginal delivery. Methods: This is a retrospective study using data collected from clinical records of women three prior CD and at least one prior vaginal delivery who were referred to our unit. Maternal and perinatal outcomes were compared between women with three prior CD who underwent TOLAC and those who underwent planned repeated CD. The primary outcome was a composite of maternal complications including at least one of the following: need for blood transfusion, uterine rupture, hysterectomy and admission to intensive care unit. Results: 50 singleton gestations with three prior CD at with at least one prior vaginal birth were analyzed. Of them, 10 accept to undergoing TOLAC. Of the 10 women who underwent TOLAC, nine had vaginal birth and one had CD for non-reassuring pattern. We found no significant differences in the primary outcome, in need for blood transfusion, in the incidence of uterine rupture, hysterectomy and admission to intensive care unit comparing TOLAC group with controls. Conclusion: TOLAC in women with three prior CD and at least one prior vaginal delivery is a viable option and is not asso‐ ciated with higher risk of adverse maternal or fetal outcomes. Just Accepted by The Journal of Maternal-Fetal & Neonatal Medicine © 2016 Taylor & Francis. This provisional PDF corresponds to the article as it appeared upon acceptance. Fully formatted PDF and full text (HTML) versions will be made available soon. DISCLAIMER: The ideas and opinions expressed in the journal's Just Accepted articles do not necessarily reflect those of Taylor & Francis (the Publisher), the Editors or the journal. The Publisher does not assume any responsibility for any injury and/or damage to persons or property arising from or related to any use of the material contained in these articles. The reader is advised to check the appropriate medical literature and the product information currently provided by the manufacturer of each drug to be administered to verify the dosages, the method and duration of administration, and contraindications. It is the responsibility of the treating physician or other health care professional, relying on his or her independent experience and knowledge of the patient, to determine drug dosages and the best treatment for the patient. Just Accepted articles have undergone full scientific review but none of the additional editorial preparation, such as copyediting, typesetting, and proofreading, as have articles published in the traditional manner. There may, therefore, be errors in Just Accepted articles that will be corrected in the final print and final online version of the article. Any use of the Just Accepted articles is subject to the express understanding that the papers have not yet gone through the full quality control process prior to publication.

Patient-initiated elective cesarean delivery is emerging as an urgent issue for practitioners, hospitals, and policy makers and for pregnant women. This exploratory qualitative study looks at the birth stories and cultural knowledge that women use to inform the decision about an elective cesarean without medical indication. Data collection consisted of exploratory qualitative in-depth interviews with 17 primiparous women in British Columbia, Canada. Interviews revealed the influence of socially circulated birth stories and cultural narratives on their attitudes towards mode of delivery. Participants included in their decision making process both medical information and informal birth stories that were technologically inclined and confirmed their preference for cesarean delivery. Results indicate that women who participated in this study drew heavily from social and cultural knowledge in forming their decision to give birth by patient-initiated elective cesarean delivery. Although the numbers of women who request a cesarean delivery for social reasons is still small, the persuasive influence on parturient women of positive cesarean stories and negative vaginal stories must be considered. Care providers and childbirth educators need to become familiar with the social influences impacting women's decisions for mode of delivery so that truly informed choice discussions can be undertaken.

Background: Fear of childbirth may cause complications such as experiencing severe labour pain, postpartum depression, and impaired mother-fetus attachment. Objective: To validate the Farsi version of the Wijma Delivery Expectancy/Experience Questionnaire (W-DEQ) (versions A & B) in a sample of Iranian women. Methods: The WDE-Q (versions A & B) was translated into Farsi, and the content validity of the scales was confirmed. In a cross-sectional study conducted in 2015, 405 pregnant women in the third trimester of pregnancy and 320 postpartum women completed the Farsi W-DEQ versions A & B, respectively. The construct validity and reliability of the scales were examined using exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses (EFA and CFA) and Cronbach's alpha coefficient, respectively. SPSS version 18 and Lisrel version 8.80 were used for statistical analyses. Results: Results of the CFA on 33 items could not confirm the one-factor structure proposed by Wijma (RMSEA= 0.14, SRMR=0.11, Chi-square/df=8.95, p<0.05, CFI=0.86, IFI=0.86) or other structures suggested by previous studies. We conducted an EFA on 33-item version A and found six factors with eigenvalue > 1. One item was not loaded on any factor. A CFA on 32 items of the W-DEQ (version B) yielded acceptable fit for the factorial structure found on version A (RMSEA= 0.075 (CI [0.071, 0.08]), SRMR=0.078, Chi-square/df=2.93, p<0.05, CFI=0.95, IFI=0.95). Cronbach's Alpha coefficients for the 32-item Farsi W-DEQ (versions A & B) were 0.914 and 0.919, respectively. Conclusions: Both Farsi W-DEQ are reliable and valid instruments to assess fear of childbirth in Iranian pregnant and postpartum women. Further research should be designed to examine the validity of the W-DEQ (A) in pregnant women regardless of gestational age.

In the phase before the National Health Insurance (JKN) was implemented, the Government of Indonesia had begun the poor family health insurance or Askeskin. This program has provided assurance of delivery services for pregnant women from poor families, including cesarean section (c-section). The number of deliveries by c-section has increased dramatically. Many factors related to the increased rate of c-section. This study analysis characteristics of c-section diagnosis in one Hopital in Bogor City. This study utilized a quantitative cross sectional descriptive design. Patient records were reviewed to obtain information on c-section deliveries performed between January and October 2008. The obstetric and non obstetric factors were described. Pearson Chi-square test were used as test of association between independent variables and characteristics of c-section diagnosis. A logistic regression model were used to described risk factors associated with characteristics of c-section diagnosis. The results show that 56% characteristic of c-section diagnosis were indicative and 44% were non-indicative. There was a significant association between doctor and characteristics of c-section diagnosis. Conclusion: Doctor contributed to characteristics of c-section diagnosis. The cesarean section may be reduced if obstetric protocols are implemented in hospital.

In this paper the ability of linear and nonlinear heart rate variability (HRV) indices to predict hypotension during spinal anaesthesia in programmed cesarean is studied, as well as their relation with fetal cord values. A database consisting of the ECG recordings of 40 pregnant women is analyzed. Recordings include the following positions: lateral decubitus (LD), supine decubitus (SD), sitting position (SP).

Deciding when and how to incorporate patient preferences regarding mode of delivery is challenging for both obstetric providers and policymakers. An analysis of current guidelines in four clinical scenarios (prior cesarean, twin delivery, breech presentation, and maternal request for cesarean) indicates that some guidelines are highly prescriptive, while others are more flexible, based on physicians' discretion or (less frequently) patient preferences, without consistency or explicit rationale for when such flexibility is permissible, advisable, or obligatory. While patient choice advocates have called for more patient-responsive guidelines, concerns have also been raised, especially in the context of discussions of cesarean delivery on maternal request, about the dangers of unfettered patient preference-driven clinical decisions. In this article, we outline a framework for the responsible inclusion of patient preferences into decision making regarding approach to delivery. We conclude, using this framework, that more explicit incorporation of patient preferences are called for in the first three scenarios, and indicate why expanding access to cesarean delivery on maternal request is more complicated and would require more data and further consideration.

To evaluate effects of exercise during pregnancy in asymptomatic singleton pregnancies without prior spontaneous preterm birth (SPTB) but with short transvaginal ultrasound cervical length (TVU CL). This is a secondary analysis of the Italian Pessary Trial for the Italian Preterm Birth Prevention (IPP) Working Group. In the original prospective randomized controlled trial asymptomatic singleton pregnancies without prior SPTB but with TVU CL ≤ 25 mm at 18 0/6-23 6/7 weeks were randomized into 1:1 ratio to either cervical pessary or no pessary. During their follow-up visits, women were asked about their activity. For the purpose of this secondary analysis, women were classified in the following groups, using the information obtained in the follow-up visit one month after randomization: 1) Exercise group, defined as women performing exercise ≥2 days a week for ≥20 min each day. 2) No exercise group, defined as women performing exercise &lt;2 days a week for ≥20 min each day. The primar...

This is an exploratory study of women’s childbearing decisions and outcomes in non- medically indicated cesarean section childbirths (CS). Focusing on the structure-agency dichotomy, the research is guided by Anthony Giddens’ theory of structuration used in the context of the medicalization framework in order to analyze elements of personal choice and medical jurisdiction in childbearing methods. Quantitative analysis of secondary data and a thematic content analysis of Internet forums are conducted in order to analyze women’s perceptions of autonomy and constraint in their childbearing decisions and outcomes. The findings suggest that the polarization between second- and third wave feminist critiques on medical intervention in childbirth, and between structure and agency, impede our understanding of the complex phenomenon. Applying structuration theory to the medicalization framework helps to work through this polarization, further lending support to third-way feminism.

Deciding when and how to incorporate patient preferences regarding mode of delivery is challenging for both obstetric providers and policymakers. An analysis of current guidelines in four clinical scenarios (prior cesarean, twin delivery, breech presentation, and maternal request for cesarean) indicates that some guidelines are highly prescriptive, while others are more flexible, based on physicians' discretion or (less frequently) patient preferences, without consistency or explicit rationale for when such flexibility is permissible, advisable, or obligatory. While patient choice advocates have called for more patient-responsive guidelines, concerns have also been raised, especially in the context of discussions of cesarean delivery on maternal request, about the dangers of unfettered patient preference-driven clinical decisions. In this article, we outline a framework for the responsible inclusion of patient preferences into decision making regarding approach to delivery. We conclude, using this framework, that more explicit incorporation of patient preferences are called for in the first three scenarios, and indicate why expanding access to cesarean delivery on maternal request is more complicated and would require more data and further consideration.

Patient-initiated elective cesarean delivery is emerging as an urgent issue for practitioners, hospitals, and policy makers and for pregnant women. This exploratory qualitative study looks at the birth stories and cultural knowledge that women use to inform the decision about an elective cesarean without medical indication. Data collection consisted of exploratory qualitative in-depth interviews with 17 primiparous women in British Columbia, Canada. Interviews revealed the influence of socially circulated birth stories and cultural narratives on their attitudes towards mode of delivery. Participants included in their decision making process both medical information and informal birth stories that were technologically inclined and confirmed their preference for cesarean delivery. Results indicate that women who participated in this study drew heavily from social and cultural knowledge in forming their decision to give birth by patient-initiated elective cesarean delivery. Although the numbers of women who request a cesarean delivery for social reasons is still small, the persuasive influence on parturient women of positive cesarean stories and negative vaginal stories must be considered. Care providers and childbirth educators need to become familiar with the social influences impacting women's decisions for mode of delivery so that truly informed choice discussions can be undertaken. J Midwifery Womens Health 2009;54:373-379 Ó 2009 by the American College of Nurse-Midwives. keywords: patient-initiated elective cesarean delivery, primary elective cesarean delivery, qualitative interviewing, self-help literature, women's experiences