Caesarean sections and the prevalence of preterm and early-term births in Brazil: secondary analyses of national birth registration.

ABSTRACT:

Objectives

To investigate whether the high rates of caesarean sections (CSs) in Brazil have impacted on the prevalence of preterm and early-term births.

Design

Individual-level, cross-sectional analyses of a national database.

Setting

All hospital births occurring in the country in 2015.

Participants

2 903 716 hospital-delivered singletons in 3157 municipalities, representing >96% of the country's births.

Primary and secondary outcome measures

CS rates and gestational age distribution (<37, 37-38, 39-41 and 42 or more weeks' gestation). Outcomes were analysed according to maternal education, measured in years of schooling and municipal CS rates. Analyses were also adjusted for maternal age, marital status and parity.

Results

Prevalence of CS was 5

SUBMITTER: Barros FC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6078248 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature