Higher Risks for Babies Born by Repeat C-Section

When a woman delivers a baby by cesarean section, the possibility that she can deliver vaginally after that c-section (VBAC) is sometimes reduced because of the related risks, with some hospitals not even allowing a vaginal delivery after a prior c-section. Many women that have delivered once by c-section choose to have their next child by c-section also to avoid those risks that come with a VBAC. However, a recent study conducted by Dr. Beena Kamath has found that babies delivered by elective, repeat c-section delivery are nearly twice as likely as those born vaginally after a previous c-section to be admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). The babies delivered by c-section also had a greater risk of developing breathing problems requiring oxygen in the delivery room. For the study, Kamath, a clinical instructor of pediatrics at the University of Colorado School of Medicine in Denver, looked at hospital records from late 2005 through mid-2008.

Kamath and her colleagues analyzed the records of babies born to 343 women who had planned a repeat, elective c-section and 329 women who chose to attempt a vaginal birth after a previous c-section. For each group, the team looked at admissions to the neonatal intensive care unit, the need for oxygen and the cost of the hospital stay. The researchers then divided the women into four groups, with 104 of the women with repeat c-section having gone into labor before the c-section and 239 having not, and 85 of the 329 women who attempted vaginal delivery ultimately requiring a c-section. Of the babies born via c-section, 9.3 percent were admitted to the NCIU, while only 4.9 percent of those born vaginally were admitted. Oxygen was required by 41.5 percent of the c-section babies in the delivery room, while only 23.2 percent of the vaginally delivered babies needed oxygen. Of the babies that were admitted to the NICU, 5.8 percent of the c-section babies and 2.4 percent of the vaginally delivered babies required oxygen while in the unit. For babies delivered vaginally, the median hospital stay was three days, while the median stay for the other three groups was four days. As for cost, the average total cost for the group with vaginal delivery was $6,647 and the average total cost for the c-section group was $8,268.

Kamath noted that the babies born vaginally after their mother had a previous c-section required the most resuscitation and had the most expensive total birth experience. However, in terms of hospital stay and other measures, the VBAC group did better than the c-section group. When a woman requires or elects to have a c-section, it is important for her to know the risks of both repeat c-section and vaginal delivery after that prior c-section. The study, which was published in Obstetrics & Gynecology, may influence more women to discuss with their doctor their delivery options after a c-section. Women who deliver once by c-section have more than a 90 percent chance of having another c-section, with many experts and doctors continuing to debate whether a repeat c-section or vaginal delivery is safer. If the death or injury of your baby resulted from a mistake by a doctor or a mistake by a hospital, please call or e-mail the birth injury attorneys at Silberstein, Awad & Miklos, P.C. to discuss the facts of your case. Our firm serves clients in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Bronx and Queens, New York City, and Long Island, NY.

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