Is Vaginal Delivery After C-Section Safe?
Dec. 15, 2004 — Having a vaginal delivery after a prior cesarean section is slightly riskier to both the mother and her baby than having a planned C-section. It’s an issue that’s been debated for several years now. In fact, the numbers of vaginal births in women that have had prior cesarean deliveries has fallen steadily to 13% in 2002. Reports of uterine rupture because of vaginal delivery attempts in women with prior cesareans and their catastrophic consequences may have led to these declines. A comprehensive study, published earlier this year, showed that almost 75% of women who attempted labor after a prior C-section had a successful vaginal delivery. The study showed that the complication rate was lower in these women than in those who had planned surgical deliveries. In a planned surgical (cesarean) delivery, women do not go into labor in order to deliver a baby. The researchers estimated the risk for serious newborn complications was one in 2,000 deliveries when vaginal birth a
