VBAC: a medicolegal perspective

Clarissa Bonanno1, Marilee Clausing, Richard Berkowitz

  • 1Department of Obstetrics Gynecology, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA. cab90@columbia.edu

History has always been a series of pendulum swings, and there is perhaps no better example in obstetrics than that of vaginal birth after cesarean. Vaginal birth after cesarean (VBAC) rates rose steadily in the early 1990s. However, VBAC rates have declined dramatically over recent years, while the cesarean delivery rate has continued to rise unabated. Many physicians and hospitals are no longer offering trial of labor after cesarean, largely because of medicolegal concerns. This article explores the medical and legal risks of trial of labor after cesarean.

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