title: Vaginal birth after cesarean section. A safe option in carefully selected patients.
abstract: The rate of cesarean section has risen steadily in the United States since 1970. During the same period, a trial of labor in patients who have had a cesarean section has also increased somewhat in popularity. Trial of labor has been demonstrated to be a safe and reasonable alternative to repeat cesarean section in carefully selected patients. If such a trial were offered to half of eligible patients and the success rate were only 50%, the cesarean section rate would be reduced to 19%. This reduction would represent 72,000 fewer cesarean births per year. Based on a savings of $3,000 per vaginal delivery, the total cost savings would be more than $200,000,000.
authors.affiliation: Medical Center, Beaver, PA 15009.
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: McKenna
authors.forename: B R
authors.initials: BR
authors.lastname: Guerdan
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Wright
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002585:Cesarean Section / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D005323:Fetal Monitoring / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D010121:Oxytocin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011247:Pregnancy; D014219:Trial of Labor; D014481:United States; D014597:Uterine Rupture / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology
chemical_list: D010121:Oxytocin