Analysis of Cesarean Section Rates in a Public Tertiary Hospital During Teaching and Non-teaching Periods Using the...

The rising cesarean section (CS) rate is a global concern. One of the hospital characteristics that may explain the variation in CS among hospitals is hospital teaching status. This study aims to assess the rate of CS in a tertiary hospital during the teaching and non-teaching periods and to conduct an analysis using the Robson ten-group classification system.

This study is a retrospective cohort that assessed pregnant mothers who gave birth at a tertiary hospital in Bandar Abbas. The study population was divided into two groups: those who gave birth during the hospital's teaching period (November 1st, 2019 to October 30th, 2020) and those who gave birth after that (November 1st, 2020 to October 30th, 2021). The primary outcome was the rate of CS according to Robson's classification system. The secondary outcome was the contributions of each group of Robson to the overall CS rate. Data were extracted by trained collectors from the "Iranian Maternal and Neonatal Network (IMaN Net)," a valid national system, using electronic patient records.

Of the total number of births (8382), 62.9 % occurred during the teaching period and 37.1 % during the non-teaching period. A 7% increase in CS was observed during the teaching period of the hospital compared to the non-teaching period (p<0.01). CS rate in Robson groups 1,2,4,7, and 10 differs significantly between teaching and non-teaching periods. According to the findings, Groups 5, 10, and 2 were the three most significant contributors to overall CS in our hospital during the study period.

The efforts to reduce the overall CS rate should be focused on groups 2,5, and 10 of Robson.