A qualitative and quantitative cross-sectional study on the past, present, and future of vaginal delivery: Turkey

The current study focused on predicting future trends in obstetrics by examining obstetricians' approaches to specific challenging vaginal delivery that require special experience, such as breech presentation, macrosomic fetus, twin pregnancy, and vacuum use, compared with their residency training experience.

The cross-sectional study was conducted in two phases. The first phase was qualitative and the second phase was quantitative. The "interview" and "survey" techniques served as data collection tools. In total, 20 obstetricians participated in the interviews, and 400 obstetricians took part in the survey. Data from the interviews were analyzed using the Maxqda 2020 qualitative data analysis program, and survey data were analyzed using SPSS version 25.0.

Over the past 2 decades, there has been a gradual shift from vaginal deliveries to cesarean deliveries in cases involving breech presentation, macrosomic fetus, twin pregnancy, and vacuum use. While medicolegal concerns are undeniable, the prevalent belief among obstetricians that cesarean delivery is safer than vaginal delivery significantly influences this trend. Comparatively, young obstetricians often complete their residency training without acquiring sufficient knowledge and skills in vaginal delivery.

Young obstetricians currently lack adequate experience in managing vaginal deliveries for breech presentation, macrosomic fetus, twin pregnancy, and vacuum use. This experience is at risk of disappearing entirely within the next decade as senior obstetricians retire. Policymakers should take this into consideration when shaping future healthcare policies.