Maternal request for caesarean section: is it obstetrician driven?
To assess whether maternal request for elective caesarean section was in fact obstetrician driven a postal questionnaire was undertaken in the North Thames Region. One hundred and thirtyfour consultants who undertook NHS obstetrics replied to the questionnaire. Only one (0.8%) offered elective caesarean section to all women, and all suggested trial of scar in selected cases. Eighty-three (61.9%) of respondents felt that maternal request had significantly increased their caesarean section rate. It is concluded that maternal request for caesarean section is not obstetrician led, but patient driven.
Irvine
L. Montgomery
LM