Frequency of Cesarean Section on Maternal Request in a Tertiary Care Hospital

Abstract

Background: Caesarean sections are categorised into three groups: indications outlined by guidelines, indications determined by doctors, and circumstances including maternal demands. Caesarean birth on maternal request is a technique that is specifically requested by pregnant women who have no obstetric or medical reasons that prevent them from trying a vaginal delivery.

Objective: This study aims to ascertain the frequency of caesarean delivery on maternal request within deliveries conducted at Lady Reading Hospital Peshawar.

Study type, settings & duration: This retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted at Obstetrics and Gynaecology Unit B, Lady Reading Hospital MTI, Peshawar from February 2021 to December 2022.  

Methodology: The study comprised 146 pregnant women who had live foetuses and sought caesarean birth due to maternal desire, while also meeting the inclusion criteria.

Results: The age of the participants varied between 18 and 40 years, with an average age of 29.6±2.9 years. The average gestational age was 38.9±0.9 weeks, and the average parity was 1.6±1.2. The 12.3% of patients exhibited maternal demands.

Conclusion: The most frequent explanations were date of birth selection and labor dread. Reduce the number of primary cesarean procedures by providing adequate prenatal and perinatal counseling to patients, properly monitoring maternal and fetal characteristics, and carefully selecting patients who have previously had cesarean sections for subsequent pregnancies.