title: Cesarean section: a contemporary assessment.
abstract: A one-year retrospective study of cesarean section (CS) at Women and Infants Hospital of Rhode Island is reported. There were 5,467 women delivered, including 1,011 who delivered by CS, yielding a total CS rate of 18.5% and a primary rate of 13.4%. The four leading indications for primary CS were: dystocia (38.8%), breech presentation (14.9%), malposition (11.9%) and fetal distress (11.3%). Sepsis was responsible for 75% of the complications. The incidence of low-birth-weight infants was 14.2% for primary CS and 6.7% for repeat CS. The perinatal death rate was 21.2% per 1,000. The relationship of these findings to changing obstetric practice is discussed.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001803:Blood Transfusion; D001946:Breech Presentation; D002585:Cesarean Section; D004420:Dystocia / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D005313:Fetal Death; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007226:Infant Mortality; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008423:Maternal Age; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D011247:Pregnancy; D011645:Puerperal Infection / Q000209:etiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013246:Sterilization, Tubal