Successful Vaginal Deliveries Possible Among Women Who’ve Had Multiple Previous Cesarean Sections

Women who had two previous cesarean section deliveries who attempted a vaginal birth had a 39 percent chance of a successful vaginal birth, according to an AHRQ-funded study. The study, published in Obstetrics & Gynecology, found that these labor attempts were associated with a modest increase in risks to newborns but no change in risks to mothers. The authors reviewed records of about 1,200 women in California who attempted to deliver a baby after two previous cesarean deliveries. The study also found that teaching hospitals and hospitals with higher levels of care in their neonatal intensive care units, more midwife involvement and less litigious environments were more likely to have patients deliver vaginally after two C-sections. Access the abstract.