title: Prelabour caesarean section following IVF/ICSI in older-term nulliparous women: too precious to push?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare prelabour caesarean section (CS) rates in older nulliparous women with a term singleton baby in cephalic presentation conceiving spontaneously and through IVF/ICSI. When the latter women would ask for CS, how willing are gynaecologists to comply with that request?
  
  
  METHODS
  A population-based retrospective (1995-2009) cohort study, conducted in Northern Belgium. A comparison of 1,866 nulliparous women pregnant after IVF/ICSI and 15,228 controls is made. An anonymous postal questionnaire is sent to all Belgian gynaecologists.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Both groups are comparable with respect to maternal age, gestational age, and birth weight. Prelabour CS is more often performed in women who conceived through IVF/ICSI compared to those who conceived spontaneously (9.2% versus 6.3%, P < 0.001). One in five gynaecologists agrees with the maternal request.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  IVF/ICSI pregnancies in older nulliparous women more often end in a prelabour CS and a substantial number of gynaecologists go along with a nonmedical reason for CS.
authors: Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, University Hospital, Vrije Universiteit (VUB), Laarbeeklaan 101, 1090 Brussels, Belgium. evy.gillet@vub.ac.be
authors: E
authors: E
authors: Gillet
authors: E
authors: E
authors: Martens
authors: G
authors: G
authors: Martens
authors: H
authors: H
authors: Cammu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D001530:Belgium; D002585:Cesarean Section / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D017558:Elective Surgical Procedures / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D005306:Fertilization; D005865:Gestational Age; D006176:Gynecology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007746:Labor Presentation; D010298:Parity; D057240:Patient Preference / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011247:Pregnancy; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D020554:Sperm Injections, Intracytoplasmic; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires