title: Patient-choice vaginal delivery?
abstract: Patient-choice cesarean delivery is increasing in the United States. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists supports this option, citing ethical premises of autonomy and informed consent, despite a lack of evidence for its safety. This increase in patient-choice cesarean delivery occurs during a time when women with a breech-presenting fetus or a previous cesarean section have fewer choices as to vaginal birth. Patient-choice cesarean delivery may become widely disseminated before the potential risks to women and their children have been well analyzed. The growing pressure for cesarean delivery in the absence of a medical indication may ultimately result in a decrease of women's childbirth options. Advocacy of patient-choice requires preserving vaginal birth options as well as cesarean delivery.
authors.affiliation: Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA. lleeman@salud.unm.edu
authors.forename: Lawrence M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Leeman
authors.forename: Lauren A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Plante
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001946:Breech Presentation; D002585:Cesarean Section; D003657:Decision Making; D017558:Elective Surgical Procedures; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D010344:Patient Advocacy; D026684:Personal Autonomy; D011247:Pregnancy; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D012307:Risk Factors; D016064:Vaginal Birth after Cesarean