Maternal Factors Associated with Mode of Delivery in a Population with a High Cesarean Section Rate

We sought to identify factors associated with mode of delivery in a peri-urban Indian population with a high cesarean section rate. Poisson regression with robust error variance was applied to model factors associated with cesarean compared to vaginal delivery in a prospective, preconception pregnancy cohort study in Telangana State, India. Adjusted relative risks and 95% confidence intervals from multivariable models are presented. Among 1164 singleton births between 2010 and 2015, 46% were delivered by cesarean. In multiparous women (n = 674), prior cesarean delivery (4.2, 3.2–5.6), prior twin delivery (1.4, 1.1–1.9), diagnosis of hypertension (1.4, 1.0–2.0), or preeclampsia (3.5, 2.1–5.7) in a prior pregnancy independently increased the risk of cesarean. Prepregnancy overweight/obesity (1.4, 1.0–1.9), a composite of prenatal complications (1.3, 1.0–1.7), a composite of labor complications (1.5, 1.0–2.3), nonreassuring fetal heart rate (2.3, 1.3–4.1), and breech position (2.6, 1.4–5.0) also increased the cesarean risk. Among nulliparous women (n = 233), cephalo–pelvic disproportion (1.9, 1.2–3.0), a composite of labor complications (2.9, 1.8–4.9), and breech position (3.4, 1.9–6.2) increased the risk of cesarean. The high rate of cesarean delivery in this peri-urban Indian population is attributed to history of pregnancy complications, history of prior cesarean, prepregnancy body mass index, and medical indications at delivery.