Psychiatric illness in women requesting caesarean section

Area of Science:

• Obstetrics and Gynecology
• Psychiatry
• Public Health

Background:

• Cesarean section on maternal request is a growing phenomenon.
• Understanding the maternal health profile associated with this delivery mode is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare psychiatric care utilization in the 5 years preceding first delivery.
• To compare primiparae delivered by cesarean section on maternal request versus all other primiparae.

Main Methods:

• Prospective, population-based register study in Sweden.
• Included 64,834 first-time mothers (2002-2004).
• Compared 1009 women with cesarean on maternal request against 63,825 others, analyzing psychiatric diagnoses (ICD-9/10).

Main Results:

• Women with cesarean on maternal request had significantly higher psychiatric illness rates (10% vs. 3.5%, P < 0.001).
• Common diagnoses included neurotic, stress-related, and mood disorders.
• Any psychiatric disorder increased odds of cesarean on maternal request by 2.5 (aOR 2.5, 95% CI 2.0-3.2).

Conclusions:

• Women opting for cesarean delivery on maternal request exhibit a greater psychiatric disease burden.
• This underscores the necessity for enhanced psychological support and mental health screening during pregnancy.