Why do Mothers from Remote Rural Areas opt for Cesarean Delivery: An Observational Analytical Study from West Bengal, India.

BACKGROUND

The percentage of cesarean section (C-section) deliveries has doubled in the last two decades in India. Although C-section delivery is a life-saving intervention, multiple maternal and neonatal morbidities are often associated with this procedure, adversely affecting the quality of life of both the mother and child.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

This community-based cross-sectional study was conducted to assess the point of view of mothers who delivered from January 2020 to June 2021.

RESULTS

The mean (standard deviation (SD)) age of the 866 study participants at delivery was 24.5 (4.8) years, and 60.2% were primigravidas. A total of 613 (70.8%; 95% CI: 67.8-73.8) C-sections were conducted, of which 65.9% (n = 404) were planned and 21.9% were done on maternal request. C-sections were significantly associated with private institutes (adjusted prevalence ratio (aPR) 1.90; 95% CI: 1.70-2.11), at-risk pregnancy (aPR 1.37; 95% CI: 1.26-1.49), and primigravida (aPR 1.16; 95% CI: 1.05-1.29). About 55.3%, 29.8%, and 14.9% of women considered vaginal delivery to be risky, painful, and inconvenient, respectively.

CONCLUSION

It is imperative to generate awareness regarding modes of delivery during antenatal care (ANC) so that mothers can make better-informed choices.