Tendencia de la cesárea: una reflexión desde la ética / Cesarean section trend: a reflection from ethics / Tendência à cesárea: uma reflexão a partir da ética

Resumen: Las estadísticas mundiales muestran una tendencia al alza en las tasas de cesáreas que superan el 15% recomendado por la OPS/OMS. Esta cirugía se ha convertido en la más frecuente en los países de ingresos medios y altos. Algunos estudios sugieren que no todas estas cesáreas estarían justificadas. Al respecto se plantean algunas reflexiones sobre los dilemas éticos que se pueden observar desde varias posiciones teóricas, como el consecuencialismo, el kantianismo, la ética de la virtud y la teoría feminista. A su vez, estos dilemas están inmersos en múltiples factores individuales, sociales y culturales, entre otros. Desde la salud pública se debe revisar el parámetro actual definido como "rango aceptable" de cesáreas, ya que puede ser demasiado bajo. Igualmente se recomienda la aplicación de medidas para fortalecer en los pacientes el deseo de un parto normal, cuando sea posible, a través de información y educación oportuna durante la atención prenatal. Las decisiones del profesional de la salud y de las mujeres deben estar respaldadas por la mejor información disponible.

Abstract: World statistics show an upward trend in Cesarean section rates that exceed the 15% recommended by PAHO / WHO. This surgery has become the most common in high- and middle-income countries. Some studies suggest that not all these caesarean sections would be justified. In this regard, some reflections are made on the ethical dilemmas that can be observed from various theoretical positions such as consequentialism, Kantianism, the ethics of virtue and feminist theory. In turn, these dilemmas are immersed in multiple individuals, social and cultural factors, among others. From Public Health, the current parameter defined as the "acceptable range" of Caesarean sections should be reviewed as it may be too low. It is also recommended that measures be applied to strengthen patients' desire for a normal delivery whenever possible through timely information and education during prenatal care. The decisions of the health professional and women must be supported by the best information available.

Resumo: As estatísticas mundiais mostram uma tendência de alta nas taxas de cesáreas que superam em 15% o recomendado pela OPAS/OMS. Esta cirurgia se converteu na mais frequente em países de renda média e alta. Alguns estudos sugerem que não todas estas cesáreas seriam justificadas. A esse respeito se colocam algumas reflexões sobre os dilemas éticos que se podem observar desde várias posiciones teóricas, como o consequencialismo, o kantianismo, a ética da virtude e a teoria feminista. Por sua vez, estes dilemas estão imersos em múltiplos fatores individuais, sociais e culturais, entre outros. Deve-se revisar, a partir da saúde pública, o parâmetro atual definido como "faixa aceitável" de cesáreas, já que pode ser demasiado baixo. Igualmente se recomenda a aplicação de medidas para fortalecer nas pacientes o desejo de um parto normal, quando possível, através de informação e educação oportuna durante a assistência pré-natal. As decisões do profissional da saúde e das mulheres devem estar respaldadas pela melhor informação disponível.

Conceptual and ethical problems underpinning calls to abandon vaginal breech birth.

The view that vaginal breech birth is unjustifiable due to neonatal safety concerns has resulted in continued calls for breech pregnancies to be managed via a policy of planned caesarean birth. Vaginal breech birth has of course always occurred, but women with term breech pregnancies who seek to have a vaginal birth often face coercive pressures to have a caesarean birth instead. In this paper I argue that even if there is population level evidence that vaginal birth is relatively riskier for the breech presenting fetus, implementing a policy of planned caesarean birth would essentially be an unjustified attempt at forced medical intervention upon women. Advocates of a policy of planned caesarean birth often conflate the acceptability of allocating participants to a treatment group (policy) within the context of a randomized controlled trial with the justifiability of doing that as part of individual health care. Calls for obstetricians to "abandon vaginal breech birth" mistakenly position vaginal breech birth itself as a form of medical intervention that can simply be removed as an option for women by obstetricians. In reality, abandoning vaginal breech birth would entail abandoning women by denying them access to healthcare options that are otherwise available to any woman having a vaginal birth.

Maternal request caesareans and COVID-19: the virus does not diminish the importance of choice in childbirth.

It has recently been reported that some hospitals in the UK have placed a blanket restriction on the provision of maternal request caesarean sections (MRCS) as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Pregnancy and birthing services are obviously facing challenges during the current emergency, but we argue that a blanket ban on MRCS is both inappropriate and disproportionate. In this paper, we highlight the importance of MRCS for pregnant people's health and autonomy in childbirth and argue that this remains crucial during the current emergency. We consider some potential arguments-based on pregnant people's health and resource allocation-that might be considered justification for the limitation of such services. We demonstrate, however, that these arguments are not as persuasive as they might appear because there is limited evidence to indicate either that provision of MRCS is always dangerous for pregnant people in the circumstances or would be a substantial burden on a hospital's ability to respond to the pandemic. Furthermore, we argue that even if MRCS was not a service that hospitals are equipped to offer to all pregnant persons who seek it, the current circumstances cannot justify a blanket ban on an important service and due attention must be paid to individual circumstances.

Factores sociodemográficos y obstétricos relacionados con aplicación del consentimiento informado en procedimientos de oclusión tubárica. Cartagena-Colombia / Sociodemographic and obstetric factors related to the application of informed consent in procedures of tubal occlusion. Cartagena-Colombia

Introducción: La forma como se aplica el consentimiento informado (CI) en algunas instituciones prestadoras de salud, donde se realizan procedimientos de oclusión tubárica bilateral (OTB) en Cartagena, podría verse influenciado por factores de tipo sociodemográfico y factores de tipo obstétrico, que al final determinan la forma como se aplica el Consentimiento informado y que este sea más que un requisito para desligar responsabilidades por parte de profesionales en su relación médico- paciente. Objetivo: Determinar la influencia de los factores sociodemográficos y obstétricos en la aplicación del consentimiento informado, en procedimientos de OTB, en centros de salud de Cartagena. Material y Métodos: Se realizó un estudio descriptivo transversal prospectivo. Las fuentes de información consultadas son fuentes primarias; se encuestaron 196 pacientes que se realizaron procedimientos de cesárea por urgencias más oclusión tubárica bilateral. Se efectuó análisis Univariado y Bivariado para establecer tendencia a la asociación mediante la prueba de Chi cuadrado. Resultados: Dentro de las características sociodemográficas y obstétricas asociadas estadísticamente con conocer lo que es el consentimiento informado están tener más de 24 años (p= 0,033); ser de procedencia urbana (p=0,046); vivir en estrato superior a estrato 1 y 2 (p=0,0001), tener estudios superiores a primaria (p=0,0001); no tener más de dos embarazos (p=0,029) y asistir a control prenatal (p=0,0001). Conclusiones: La mayoría de las pacientes poseen en términos generales desconocimiento sobre el CI. El estrato socioeconómico, el nivel de escolaridad y la procedencia influyen en el nivel de conocimiento que tienen del CI, lo mismo que algunos factores obstétricos(AU)

Introduction: The way in which informed consent (IC) is applied in some healthcare institutions where bilateral tubal occlusion (OTB) procedures are performed in Cartagena could be influenced by sociodemographic and obstetric factors which ultimately determine the way at which informed consent is applied, being this more than a requirement for the professionals to be free of liability in their doctor-patient relationship. Objective: To determine the influence of sociodemographic and obstetric factors on the application of informed consent in OTB procedures in health centers in Cartagena. Material and Methods: A prospective cross-sectional descriptive study was carried out. Primary sources of information were consulted; a total of 196 patients who underwent cesarean section procedures for emergencies plus bilateral tubal occlusion were surveyed. Univariate and bivariate analyzes were performed to establish a tendency to association using the Chi-square test. Results: Some sociodemographic and obstetric characteristics statistically associated with knowledge about informed consent are to be over 24 years old (p=0.033); to be of urban origin (p=0.046); to live in stratum higher than stratum 1 and 2 (p=0.0001), to have higher education than primary (p=0.0001); not to have more than two pregnancies (p=0.029) and to attend prenatal care (p=0.0001), among others. Conclusions: Most patients are generally unaware of IC. The socioeconomic stratum, level of schooling, origin and some obstetric factors have an influence on their level of knowledge of IC(AU)

All for One and One Delivery Room Approach for All?

Multiple births are increasing in frequency related to advanced maternal age and fertility treatments, and they have an increased risk for congenital anomalies compared to singleton births. However, twins have the same congenital anomalies <15% of the time. Thus, having multiple births with discordant anomalies is a growing challenge for neonatologists. Although external anomalies can often be spotted quickly at delivery or sex differences between multiples can rapidly identify those with internal anomalies described on prenatal ultrasound, we present a case of male multiples, who would optimally receive different initial resuscitation strategies on the basis of the presence or absence of an internal anomaly. The similar size of 4 extremely preterm quadruplets raises concern for whether accurate, immediate identification of 1 neonate with a congenital diaphragmatic hernia will be reliable in the delivery room. Clinicians discuss the ethical considerations of an "all for one" approach to this resuscitation.

Pre-post implementation survey of a multicomponent intervention to improve informed consent for caesarean section in Southern Malawi.

OBJECTIVE: Surgical informed consent is essential prior to caesarean section, but potentially compromised by insufficient communication. We assessed the association between a multicomponent intervention and women's recollection of information pertaining to informed consent for caesarean section in a low-resource setting, thereby contributing to respectful maternity care. DESIGN: Pre-post implementation survey, conducted from January to June 2018, surveying women prior to discharge. SETTING: Rural 150-bed mission hospital in Southern Malawi. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 160 postoperative women were included: 80 preimplementation and 80 postimplementation. INTERVENTION: Based on observed deficiencies and input from local stakeholders, a multicomponent intervention was developed, consisting of a standardised checklist, wall poster with a six-step guide and on-the-job communication training for health workers. PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES: Individual components of informed consent were: indication, explanation of procedure, common complications, implications for future pregnancies and verbal enquiry of consent, which were compared preintervention and postintervention using χ2 test. Generalised linear models were used to analyse incompleteness scores and recollection of the informed consent process. RESULTS: The proportion of women who recollected being informed about procedure-related risks increased from 25/80 to 47/80 (OR 3.13 (95% CI 1.64 to 6.00)). Recollection of an explanation of the procedure changed from 44/80 to 55/80 (OR 1.80 (0.94 to 3.44)), implications for future pregnancy from 25/80 to 47/80 (1.69 (0.89 to 3.20)) and of consent enquiry from 67/80 to 73/80 (OR 2.02 (0.73 to 5.37)). After controlling for other variables, incompleteness scores postintervention were 26% lower (Exp(ß)=0.74; 95% CI 0.57 to 0.96). Recollection of common complications increased with 0.25 complications (ß=0.25; 95% CI 0.01 to 0.49). Recollection of the correct indication did not differ significantly. CONCLUSION: Recollection of informed consent for caesarean section changed significantly in the postintervention group. Obtaining informed consent for caesarean section is one of the essential components of respectful maternity care.

Medical Compromise and Its Limits: Religious Concerns and the Postmortem Caesarean Section in Nineteenth-Century Belgium.

Situated on the intersection of medicine and religion, postmortem caesarean sections exposed ideological boundaries in nineteenth-century medicine. According to clerical guidelines circulating in Catholic territories, Catholics who had not necessarily received medical training had to perform operations on deceased women in the absence of medical staff. Most doctors, on the other hand, objected to surgical interventions by unqualified Catholics. This article uses the Belgian debates about the postmortem caesarean section as a means to investigate methods of negotiation between liberal and Catholic doctors. The article analyzes, first, how doctors incorporated religious concerns such as baptism in the medical profession. Second, physicians' strategies to come to a compromise in ideologically diverse settings are examined. Overall, this article casts light on the dynamics of medical debate in times of both ideological rapprochement and polarization.

Why the Elective Caesarean Lottery is Ethically Impermissible.

In the United Kingdom the law and medical guidance is supportive of women making choices in childbirth. NICE guidelines are explicit that a competent woman's informed request for MRCS (elective caesarean in the absence of any clinical indications) should be respected. However, in reality pregnant women are routinely denied MRCS. In this paper I consider whether there is sufficient justification for restricting MRCS. The physical and emotive significance of childbirth as an event in a woman's life cannot be understated. It is, therefore, concerning that women are having their wishes ignored, and we must ascertain whether the denial of agency is justifiable. To answer this question I first demonstrate that access to MRCS is a lottery in the UK. Second, I argue that there is nothing unique about pregnancy that displaces the ethical norm of respecting patents' sufficiently autonomous choices. Thus, the starting presumption is that all informed choices regarding MRCS should be respected. To ascertain whether any restriction of MRCS is justifiable the burden of proof must be placed on those who argue that MRCS is ethically impermissible. I argue that the most common justifications in the literature against MRCS are insufficient to displace the presumption in favour of autonomous choice in childbirth. I conclude that MRCS should be available to pregnant women, and we must strive to reduce the lottery in access to choice.

Un caso de rotura uterina durante el embarazo / A case of uterine rupture during pregnancy

Este artículo presenta un caso poco habitual de ruptura uterina durante la 19ª semana de gestación en el lugar de la cicatriz de una cesárea realizada dos años antes. El feto estaba todavía vivo, pero murió pocos minutos después debido a su inmadurez. Se consiguió preservar el útero, aconsejando vivamente a la mujer el no volver a quedar embarazada, y sugiriendo realizar la ligadura de trompas. En estas páginas se examina la literatura sobre la ruptura uterina, en concreto, la que se produce tras una intervención cesárea, valorando la posibilidad de calcular el riesgo de ruptura a través del estudio ecográfico. A continuación se ofrece el análisis moral del caso desde la perspectiva de la moral católica, preguntándose concretamente por la licitud de la histerectomía en ciertas condiciones. Se recuerda la ilicitud de toda esterilización directa, o sea, de aquellas intervenciones que se proponen impedir la procreación. Al mismo tiempo se explica que algunas operaciones en este ámbito pueden no configurarse como esterilización directa, cuando se llegue a la certeza moral de que el útero, por las condiciones en las que se encuentra, no será capaz de desarrollar un embarazo hasta la viabilidad del feto. En estos casos la intervención no puede decirse antiprocreativa porque el sistema reproductivo de la mujer es incapaz de cumplir su función natural

The article presents a rare case of uterine rupture at the 19th week of gestation, in the presence of a scar after a caesarean section practiced two years earlier. The fetus was pulled out alive, but given the gestational age, died within a few minutes. The uterus was preserved, but the woman was advised to proceed with tubal ligation and, in any case, to absolutely avoid a new pregnancy. The literature on uterine rupture is examined focusing on the problem of uterine rupture resulting after a caesarean section, analyzing the possibility of monitoring the risk of rupture through ultrasound evaluation. Finally, the article conducts a moral analysis of the case in the light of personal bioethics, questioning in particular the acceptability of a hysterectomy under certain conditions. The illegitimacy of direct sterilization is reaffirmed, that is to say, an intervention whose purpose is the impediment of procreation, but it is emphasized that direct sterilization cannot occur when it comes to the moral certainty that that uterus, because of its conditions , cannot carry on a pregnancy until the viability of the fetus. In fact, an intervention that affects a uterus that is objectively incapable of carrying out its natural function cannot be qualified as anti-procreative

Obstetrical providers' preferred mode of delivery and attitude towards non-medically indicated caesarean sections: a cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVE: To describe obstetrical providers' delivery preferences and attitudes towards caesarean section without medical indication, including on maternal request, and to examine the association between provider characteristics and preferences/attitudes. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. SETTING: Two public and two private hospitals in Argentina. POPULATION: Obstetrician-gynaecologists and midwives who provide prenatal care and/or labour/delivery services. METHODS: Providers in hospitals with at least 1000 births per year completed a self-administered, anonymous survey. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Provider delivery preference for low-risk women, perception of women's preferred delivery method, support for a woman's right to choose her delivery method and willingness to perform caesarean section on maternal request. RESULTS: 168 providers participated (89.8% coverage rate). Providers (93.2%) preferred a vaginal delivery for their patients in the absence of a medical indication for caesarean section. Whereas 74.4% of providers supported their patient's right to choose a delivery method in the absence of a medical indication for caesarean section and 66.7% would perform a caesarean section upon maternal request, only 30.4% would consider a non-medically indicated caesarean section for their own personal delivery or that of their partner. In multivariate adjusted analysis, providers in the private sector [odds ratio (OR) 4.70, 95% CI 1.19-18.62] and obstetrician-gynaecologists (OR 4.37, 95% CI 1.58-12.09) were more willing than either providers working in the public/both settings or midwives to perform a caesarean section on maternal request. CONCLUSIONS: Despite the ethical debate surrounding non-medically indicated caesarean sections, we observe very high levels of support, especially by providers in the private sector and obstetrician-gynaecologists, as aligned with the high caesarean section rates in Argentina. TWEETABLE ABSTRACT: Non-medically indicated c-section? 74% of sampled Argentine OB providers support women's right to choose.

Revisiting the Jewish Ethical Approach Toward Perimortem Cesarean Section in Light of Emerging Medical Evidence.

BACKGROUND: Maternal cardiac arrest during gestation constitutes a devastating event. Training and anticipant preparedness for prompt action in such cases may save the lives of both the woman and her fetus. OBJECTIVES: To address a previous Jewish guideline that a woman in advanced pregnancy should not undergo any medical procedure to save the fetus until her condition is stabilized. METHODS: Current evidence on perimortal cesarean section shows that immediate section during resuscitation provides restoration of the integrity of the mother's vascular compartment and increases her probability of survival. We analyzed Jewish scriptures from the Talmud and verdicts of the oral law and revealed that the Jewish ethical approach toward late gestational resuscitation was discouraged since it may jeopardize the mother. RESULTS: We discuss the pertinent Jewish principles and their application in light of emerging scientific literature on this topic. An example case that led to an early perimortem cesarean delivery and brought about a gratifying, albeit only partially satisfying outcome, is presented, albeit with only a partially satisfying outcome. The arguments that were raised are relevant to such cases and suggest that previous judgments should be reconsidered. CONCLUSIONS: The Jewish perspective can guide medical personnel to modify and adapt the concrete rules to diverse clinical scenarios in light of current medical knowledge. With scientific data showing that both mother and fetus can prosper from immediate surgical extrication of the baby during resuscitation of the advanced pregnant woman, these morals should dictate training and practice in urgent perimortal cesarean sections whenever feasible.

RESPONDING PROFESSIONALLY TO REQUESTS FOR CESAREAN DELIVERY.

Patients' requests for non-indicated cesarean delivery challenge the professionalism of obstetricians. This is because physicians should not provide clinical management in the absence of an evidence-based indication for it. The ethics of responding professionally to requests for non-indicated cesarean delivery would appear to be simple: just say "No." This paper presents an ethically and clinically more nuanced approach, on the basis of the professional responsibility model of obstetric ethics, emphasizinga preventive ethics approach. Preventive ethics deploys the informed consent process to minimize ethical conflict in clinical practice. This process should focus on when to recommend against cesarean delivery - rather than simply saying no. There is no evidence of net clinical benefit for pregnant, fetal, and neonatal patients from non-indicated cesarean delivery. Obstetricians should therefore respond to such requests by recommending against cesarean delivery, recommending vaginal delivery, and explaining the evidence base for these recommendations.

Ethical issues in cesarean delivery.

Cesarean delivery is the most common and important surgical intervention in obstetric practice. Ethics provides essential guidance to obstetricians for offering, recommending, recommending against, and performing cesarean delivery. This chapter provides an ethical framework based on the professional responsibility model of obstetric ethics. This framework is then used to address two especially ethically challenging clinical topics in cesarean delivery: patient-choice cesarean delivery and trial of labor after cesarean delivery. This chapter emphasizes a preventive ethics approach, designed to prevent ethical conflict in clinical practice. To achieve this goal, a preventive ethics approach uses the informed consent process to offer cesarean delivery as a medically reasonable alternative to vaginal delivery, to recommend cesarean delivery, and to recommend against cesarean delivery. The limited role of shared decision making is also described. The professional responsibility model of obstetric ethics guides this multi-faceted preventive ethics approach.

Cesarean section: the pediatricians' views.

Cesarean sections (CS) have greatly increased and many reasons are often evoked. Safer anesthetics and surgical procedures have rendered CS a popular choice for both professionals and mothers alike. CS on maternal request, for nonmedical reasons, is the subject of scientific, legal and ethical dispute. We shall address the CS issues, primarily, from the pediatrician's point of view. The immediate neonatal problems of the more mature neonate are well recognized. For preterm birth, contradictory results on mid- and long-term outcomes do not confirm the earlier reports on neonatal advantages of CS over vaginal delivery; therefore, their mode of delivery should be based on individual circumstances. The intestinal flora of neonates delivered by CS is often deprived of the normal colonization by maternal vulvovaginal and rectal flora. Whether this adverse microbiome will play a role in the late development of multiple morbidities in children and adults is an interesting possibility open to consideration. The consequences of unnecessary CS demands a reflection for all the involved parties and the decision to perform a CS shall, then, be based on the net clinical benefit to all: the mother, the child and the future adult.

The importance of clinically and ethically fine-tuning decision-making about cesarean delivery.

In obstetric practice, each pregnant woman presents with a composite of maternal and fetal characteristics that can alter the risk of significant harm without cesarean intervention. The hospital's availability of resources and the obstetrician's training, experience, and skill level can also alter the risk of significant harm without cesarean intervention. This paper proposes a clinical ethical framework that takes these clinical and organizational factors into account, to promote a deliberative rather than simplistic approach to decision-making and counseling about cesarean delivery. The result is a clinical ethical framework that should guide the obstetrician in fine-tuning his or her evidence-based, beneficence-based analysis of specific clinical and organizational factors that can affect the strength of the beneficence-based clinical judgment about cesarean delivery. We illustrate the clinical application of this framework for three common obstetric conditions: Category II fetal heart rate tracing, prior non-classical cesarean delivery, and breech presentation.

Cesarean section by maternal request.

Cesarean section by maternal request is the one performed on a pregnant woman without medical indication and without contraindication to vaginal delivery. There is great controversy over requested cesarean section. Potential risks include complications in subsequent pregnancies, such as uterine rupture, placenta previa and accreta. Potential benefits of requested cesareans include a lower risk of postpartum hemorrhage in the first cesarean and fewer surgical complications compared with vaginal delivery. Cesarean section by request should never be performed before 39 weeks. RESUMO A cesariana a pedido materno é aquela realizada em uma gestante sem indicações médicas e sem contraindicação para tentativa do parto vaginal. Existe grande controvérsia sobre a realização da cesariana a pedido. Riscos potenciais da cesariana a pedido incluem complicações em gravidezes subsequentes, tais como: rotura uterina, placenta prévia e acretismo. Potenciais benefícios da cesariana a pedido englobam um menor risco de hemorragia pós-parto na primeira cesariana e menos complicações cirúrgicas quando comparada ao parto vaginal. A cesariana a pedido jamais deve ser realizada antes de 39 semanas.

[Informed Consent in the Humanization of the Cesarean: A Preliminary Study]. / Consentimiento Informado en la Humanización de la Cesárea: Un Estudio Preliminar.

The informed consent (IC) is a process based on dialogue between the professional and the patient in which he freely decides on possible interventions in their health. This is applicable to caesarean delivery and if it meets a number of conditions will help to improve the process of ″humanization″ of birth. The overall objective of this study is to analyze preliminarily in several hospitals in the Region of Murcia the IC in caesarean delivery. To this end, we have revised the documents of IC and we studied who, where, when and how the IC process is done. The results show that all hospitals are based on the same document, and although the documents take into account all the elements of a IC, do not indicate the date of their design or subsequent revisions. It does not contemplate the risks and complications that caesarean section can have on the newborn, mother, and mother-child relationship later. It is noted that the document of IC normally is delivers by gynecologist in the consultation, when intervention is programmed, although it are sometimes nurses, who after admission to the hospital give it to sign the patient. In urgent caesarean sections, there are some hospitals that in life-threatening situation, do not offer the document of IC to women. In others, it is offered hastily by the gynecologist or midwife. In conclusion, the IC is a process which used correctly, favors the relationship between women and health professionals in the intervention of cesarean section. Although this process and the documents of IC examined in our study, have presented many positive aspects, the humanization of caesarean could be increased improving with the preparation and updating of these documents and coordinating the various professionals.

Cesarean section by maternal request / Cesariana a pedido materno

ABSTRACT Cesarean section by maternal request is the one performed on a pregnant woman without medical indication and without contraindication to vaginal delivery. There is great controversy over requested cesarean section. Potential risks include complications in subsequent pregnancies, such as uterine rupture, placenta previa and accreta. Potential benefits of requested cesareans include a lower risk of postpartum hemorrhage in the first cesarean and fewer surgical complications compared with vaginal delivery. Cesarean section by request should never be performed before 39 weeks.

RESUMO A cesariana a pedido materno é aquela realizada em uma gestante sem indicações médicas e sem contraindicação para tentativa do parto vaginal. Existe grande controvérsia sobre a realização da cesariana a pedido. Riscos potenciais da cesariana a pedido incluem complicações em gravidezes subsequentes, tais como: rotura uterina, placenta prévia e acretismo. Potenciais benefícios da cesariana a pedido englobam um menor risco de hemorragia pós-parto na primeira cesariana e menos complicações cirúrgicas quando comparada ao parto vaginal. A cesariana a pedido jamais deve ser realizada antes de 39 semanas.