Vaginal delivery after one cesarean section.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the success rate and safety of vaginal delivery after a previous cesarean section in a South African teaching hospital serving a developing community.


METHODS
One hundred eighty-nine women with a history of one previous cesarean section were studied during a 10.5-month period. Maternal morbidity was studied in 92 of these patients who had infants weighing 2500 g or more. During the study period 5044 women delivered at the hospital.


RESULTS
In the study group of 189 women, 85 (44.9%) delivered vaginally, 65 (34.4%) by cesarean section during labor and 39 (20.6%) had elective cesarean sections. One maternal and two perinatal deaths occurred. In the subgroup of 92 women with babies weighing 2500 g or more at birth, 10 women (10.9%) experienced morbidity related to trial of scar.


CONCLUSIONS
Vaginal birth was accomplished less often in this population compared with reports from developed countries, but the procedure was equally safe.
van der Walt
W A
WA
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of the Orange Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa.
Cronjé
H S
HS
Bam
R H
RH
D001724:Birth Weight; D003906:Developing Countries; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007226:Infant Mortality; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008428:Maternal Mortality; D009017:Morbidity; D011159:Population Surveillance; D011247:Pregnancy; D012307:Risk Factors; D013019:South Africa / Q000453:epidemiology; D014219:Trial of Labor; D016064:Vaginal Birth after Cesarean / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*