Association between early pregnant hospitalization and use of obstetric interventions and cesarean: a cross-sectional study

Abstract

Objective: Evaluate the association between early pregnant hospitalization and the use of obstetric interventions and cesarean delivery route. Methods: Cross-sectional study, with 758 women selected at the time of childbirth. It was assumed as early hospitalization when the woman was admitted to the hospital having less than 6 cm of cervical dilation. Logistic regression models were constructed in order to estimate the odds ratio for each obstetric intervention, adjusted by sociodemographic and obstetric variables. Results: 73.22% of women were early hospitalized. On average, they had 1.97 times the chance to undergo Kristeller’s maneuver, 2.59 and 1.80 times the chance to receive oxytocin infusion and analgesia, respectively, and 8 times more chances to having their children by cesarean delivery when compared to women that had timely hospitalization. Conclusion: Early hospitalized women were submitted to a higher number of obstetric intervention and had increased chances of undergoing cesarean sections.

Feelings about birth by a group of high-risk pregnant women

“…This fear was more frequent in pregnant women’s statements than the fear of labor pain. This insecurity may be related to the increase in unnecessary and often painful hospital interventions that pregnant women undergo, such as the use of synthetic oxytocin to speed up labor and the Kristeller maneuver, harmful practices that must be eliminated, and frequent vaginal examinations, the use of forceps or a vacuum extractor, and episiotomy, practices that are often used inappropriately ( 6 , 16 ) .…”

“…Cesarean section is associated with increased risk of maternal and fetal morbidity ( 6 ) . The World Health Organization recommends that cesarean rates should be less than 15%, however data provided by the Information System on Live Births (SINASC - Sistema de Informações sobre Nascidos Vivos ) show that in 2018 cesarean rates reached 55.9% of births in Brazil ( 7 ) .…”