Determinants of Modes of Delivery: A Hospital based Retrospective Study in Kenya

Abstract

This was a retrospective case-control study of the determinants of choice of mode of deliveries at PCEA Kikuyu Hospital, Kenya. The aim of the study was to investigate the prevalence of SVD and caesarean deliveries and to determine the factors predictive of each mode of delivery. Data was analysed using SPSS 20.0. Descriptive analysis involving frequencies and percentages was employed as well as ANOVA test at 95% CI. The study has shown that 65.1% of women who delivered at PCEA Kikuyu hospital had Spontaneous vaginal deliveries (SVD), 7.71% elective caesarean deliveries while 26.78% had emergency caesarean deliveries. Parity, gravidity, employment status, previous modes of delivery and gestation age were found to be predictive of the modes of delivery (p<0.05). The study recommends that the hospital administrators and policy makers at the national and county levels should lay adequate plans for public awareness on the outcomes of modes of delivery based on the established rising rates of C/S deliveries. Finally, there is need for further research in other hospitals in different settings in order to ascertain the outcomes of different modes of delivery.