OBJECTIVE:To examine the effect of insurance status on method of delivery while controlling for clinical and sociodemographic characteristics of women delivering at a single medical center.
STUDY DESIGN:Sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of 878 women, who delivered their infants between 1985 and 1991 at a university hospital, were analyzed. Women were included if their previous infant was delivered by cesarean section and if the current pregnancy was Ն37 weeks' gestation at nonemergent delivery with insurance status clearly specified. The outcome of interest was the rate of successful vaginal births after cesarean (VBAC) delivery by insurance status.
RESULTS:The trial of labor rate for the cohort, defined as the rate of VBAC or cesarean deliveries following labor, was 55%; 61% were vaginal deliveries. Significant differences with regard to insurance status and several maternal factors were noted between trial of labor and cesarean section-no labor groups. After controlling for potentially confounding variables, the Medicaid/indigent group was more likely than the privately insured group to undergo a trial of labor (odds ratio, 1.5; 95% confidence interval, 1.1 to 2.4). Of women who underwent a trial of labor, after controlling for other characteristics, the Medicaid/indigent group was more likely than the privately insured group to deliver vaginally (odds ratio, 1.9; 95% confidence interval, 1.1 to 3.2).
CONCLUSION:After controlling for other covariables, women with a history of a prior cesarean section with Medicaid/indigent insurance were more likely than privately insured women to attempt a trial of labor, and subsequently, to deliver vaginally, given that a trial of labor was attempted.The single most common surgical procedure among women of childbearing years remains the delivery of an infant by cesarean section. [1][2][3] The National Center for Health Statistics reported that, in 1993, of the estimated 4 million live births, 14.5% were primary and 8% repeat cesareans yielding an overall rate of cesarean delivery of 22.5%, of which 36.5% were repeat cesareans. 3 Cesarean deliveries are potentially lifesaving to the newborn and mother under high-risk conditions. Those performed selectively, however, have long been known to place a woman and her infant at increased risk for morbidity and mortality. 4 -11 Considering the risks and associated medical costs of cesarean deliveries, a Healthy People 2000 objective 12 is to reduce the rate of repeat cesarean section from 91.2 per 100 deliveries in 1987 to no more than 65 per 100 deliveries by the year 2000. Nationally, more women are delivering subsequent offspring vaginally after a previous vaginal birth after cesarean section (VBAC), if there are no contraindications during pregnancy and labor. [13][14][15][16] The VBAC rate, defined as the proportion of VBAC deliveries among all deliveries of women with a history of previous cesarean section, has risen nationally from 3.4% in 1980 to 25.4% in 1993. 3 Studies have shown VBAC to be safe for low-risk...