The association of interpregnancy interval and mode of delivery with outcomes among a cohort of Guatemalan women with a history of prior cesarean

Abstract

Design: Our objectives were to analyze how interpregnancy interval (IPI) was associated with delivery mode and how outcomes varied by these characteristics.Methods: This secondary analysis used data from a prospective study conducted in Chimaltenango, Guatemala from January 2017 through April 2020.Results: Of 26,465 Guatemalan women, 3,170 (12.0%) had a history of prior cesarean. 560 (20.1%) women delivered by vaginal birth after cesarean with the remaining 2,233 (79.9%) delivered by repeat cesarean delivery. Repeat cesarean reduced the risk of needing a dilation and curettage compared to vaginal birth after cesarean, but this association did not vary by IPI (AOR 0.01 – 0.03, p < 0.001). Repeat cesarean delivery, as compared to vaginal birth after cesarean, significantly reduced the likelihood a woman breastfeeding within one hour of birth (AOR 0.009 – 0.10, p < 0.001), but IPI was not associated with the outcome. Regarding stillbirth, repeat cesarean birth reduced the likelihood of stillbirth as compared to vaginal birth (AOR 0.2, p = 0.001 – 0.002), but again IPI was not associated with the outcome.Conclusion: Outcomes by mode of delivery among a Guatemalan cohort of women with a history of prior cesarean birth do not vary by IPI.