Obstetrician/Gynaecologists’ and Midwives’ View on Caesarean Section by Maternal Request: Has Anything Changed over 17 Years?

  • Agne Plume (Speaker)
  • Justina Kacerauskiene (Co-author)
  • Dalia Regina Railaite (Co-author)
  • Arnoldas Bartusevicius (Co-author)
  • Egle Bartuseviciene (Co-author)

Activity: Talk or presentation typesPoster presentation

Description

We aimed to compare the opinions of Lithuanian obstetrician/gynaecologists (OB/GYN) and midwives about caesarean section (CS) by maternal request in 2004 and 2021.. Structured anonymous questionnaire was presented to OB/GYN and midwives. Two surveys were done at the time of 2004 and 2021. First survey was completed during national meetings (OB/GYN and midwives), the second one – online. Questions covered demographic data, personal birth experience, opinion about different birth types and CS by maternal request. Data was processed using SPSS 23.0.. 321 respondents participated in the surveys: 130 (25 midwives, 105 OB/GYN) in 2004 and 191 (60 midwives, 131 OB/GYN) in 2021. Mean age of respondents was 44.0±12.1 in 2004 and 46.9±14.3 in 2021 (p>0.05). Average working experience was 19.6±11.8 years in 2004 and 21.7±14.6 years in 2021 (p>0.05). Main advantages of vaginal birth were: it is a natural process 86.9% (2004) vs 77.5% (2021), followed by closer mother-child bonding 54.6% (2004) and possibility to avoid complications of anaesthesia/surgery 63.4% (2021). Main advantages of CS were the elective daytime delivery 58.5% (2004), birth pain elimination 57.7% (2004) vs 43.5% (2021) and ability to minimise the risk of pelvic organ prolapse 41.9% (2021).Compared to 2004, in 2021 fewer respondents believed that maternal request as an indication for CS should be legal, respectively 72 (55.4%) and 50 (26.2%) (p0.05).. Main advantages of CS indicated by respondents, have slightly shifted from patients’ convenience to possibility of avoiding natural birth related complications. The percentage of OB/GYN and midwives who support caesarean section by maternal request has decreased more than twice over the period of 17 years. However, agreement to perform CS on demand among OB/GYN remained the same.
Period29 Mar 2023
Event titleRSU International Research Conference 2023: Knowledge for Use in Practice
Event typeConference
OrganiserRīga Stradiņš University
LocationRiga, LatviaShow on map
Degree of RecognitionInternational