[Science Updates] Cesarean delivery and risk of preterm birth

2 min read /
General Nutrition Obstetrics / Gynaecology Public health
Preterm Labor

Preterm birth is a key health concern over the globe. While the exact cause is still obscure, the presence of a cesarean scar might attribute to risk of preterm birth in a subsequent pregnancy.  

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A Dutch cohort study recruited 268,495 women with two subsequent singleton pregnancies and investigated the risk of preterm birth in a pregnancy after a prior cesarean delivery at term. Results showed that:

  • Incidence of preterm birth in the subsequent pregnancy was slightly increased in women with a prior cesarean delivery versus those with a prior vaginal delivery (2.79% and 2.46% respectively; adjusted odds ratio 1.14, 95% confidence interval 1.07-1.21)
  • The increase is mainly driven through a higher risk of spontaneous preterm birth after a prior cesarean delivery at term (adjusted odds ratio 1.5, 95% confidence interval 1.38-1.70)

 The authors recommended obstetricians to be aware of the association between a prior cesarean delivery (both planned and unplanned) at term and a higher risk of spontaneous preterm birth. In addition, further research is needed to elucidate the relationship.

Link to publication: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7317970/
 

WYE-EM-047-MAR-21

Reference

Visser L et al. Risk of preterm birth after prior term cesarean. BJOG. 2020;127(5):610-617.
 

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