OBJECTIVE We examined the extent to which differences in hospital-level cesarean delivery rates in Massachusetts were attributable to hospital-level, rather than maternal, characteristics. METHODS Birth certificate and maternal in-patient hospital discharge records for 2004-06 in Massachusetts were linked. The study population was nulliparous, term, singleton, and vertex births (NTSV) (n = 80...

INTRODUCTION The purpose of this study was to describe policies on early elective delivery (EED) and vaginal birth after cesarean (VBAC) in rural US maternity hospitals and to measure whether hospital policies differ by staffing, facilities, or birth volume. METHODS Data came from a telephone survey, conducted among all rural maternity hospitals in nine US states from November 2013 to March 2...

BACKGROUND Women's access to vaginal birth after cesarean (VBAC) in the United States has declined steadily since the mid-1990s, with a current rate of 8.2%. In the State of Florida, less than 1% of women with a previous cesarean deliver vaginally. This downturn is thought to be largely related to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) VBAC guidelines, which mandate that...

OBJECTIVE To estimate the extent to which obstetric malpractice claims might be reduced by adherence to a limited number of specific practice patterns. METHODS We examined all 189 closed perinatal claims between 2000 and 2005 from a single, large, professional liability insurer. Each case was subjected to three separate analyses: 1) whether the adverse outcome was caused by substandard care, ...

BACKGROUND In many low-income countries, formal post-partum care utilization is much lower than that of skilled delivery and antenatal care. While Traditional Birth Attendants (TBAs) might play a role in post-partum care, research exploring their attitudes and practices during this period is scarce. Therefore, the aim of this study was to explore TBAs' practices and perceptions in post-partum c...

Posterior wall uterine rupture is a rare complication. Trial of vaginal birth after cesarean section (CS) is a predisposing factor especially when associated with augmentation of labor. Here we report a case of intrapartum uterine rupture during the second stage of labor in a multiparous woman trying vaginal birth after previous CS. Emergency laparotomy was done and the baby was saved. Repair o...

Satisfaction with delivery care for mothers giving birth at medical facilities, particularly hospitals, affects birth place selection. Lao PDR faces high maternal and infant mortality, and the government had introduced the Maternal and Child Health Strategy to Xiengkhuang Province in 2009 to combat high maternal and infant mortality there. This study aimed to determine the levels of delivery ca...

PURPOSE Recent national guidelines encourage a trial of labor after cesarean (TOLAC) as a means of increasing vaginal births after cesarean (VBACs) and decreasing the high US cesarean birth rate and its consequences (2010 National Institute of Health Consensus Statement and American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists revised guideline). A birthing center serving Amish women in Southwest...