Cesarean delivery on maternal request is defined as a primary prelabor cesarean delivery on maternal request in the absence of any maternal or fetal indications. Potential risks of cesarean delivery on maternal request include a longer maternal hospital stay, an increased risk of respiratory problems for the infant, and greater complications in subsequent pregnancies, including uterine rupture, placental implantation problems, and the need for hysterectomy. Potential short-term benefits of planned cesarean delivery compared with a planned vaginal delivery (including women who give birth vaginally and those who require cesarean delivery in labor) include a decreased risk of hemorrhage and transfusion, fewer surgical complications, and a decrease in urinary incontinence during the first year after delivery. Given the balance of risks and benefits, the Committee on Obstetric Practice believes that in the absence of maternal or fetal indications for cesarean delivery, a plan for vaginal delivery is safe and appropriate and should be recommended to patients. In cases in which cesarean delivery on maternal request is planned, delivery should not be performed before a gestational age of 39 weeks. Cesarean delivery on maternal request should not be motivated by the unavailability of effective pain management. Cesarean delivery on maternal request particularly is not recommended for women desiring several children, given that the risks of placenta previa, placenta accreta, and gravid hysterectomy increase with each cesarean delivery.
American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Obstet Gynecol. 2007 Dec;110(6):1501. doi: 10.1097/01.AOG.0000291577.01569.4c. Obstet Gynecol. 2007. PMID: 18055756
[No authors listed] [No authors listed] Obstet Gynecol. 2019 Jan;133(1):226-227. doi: 10.1097/AOG.0000000000003007. Obstet Gynecol. 2019. PMID: 30575671
[No authors listed] [No authors listed] Obstet Gynecol. 2019 Jan;133(1):e73-e77. doi: 10.1097/AOG.0000000000003006. Obstet Gynecol. 2019. PMID: 30575678
[No authors listed] [No authors listed] NIH Consens State Sci Statements. 2006 Mar 27-29;23(1):1-29. NIH Consens State Sci Statements. 2006. PMID: 17308552
Sentilhes L, Vayssière C, Beucher G, Deneux-Tharaux C, Deruelle P, Diemunsch P, Gallot D, Haumonté JB, Heimann S, Kayem G, Lopez E, Parant O, Schmitz T, Sellier Y, Rozenberg P, d'Ercole C. Sentilhes L, et al. Eur J Obstet Gynecol Reprod Biol. 2013 Sep;170(1):25-32. doi: 10.1016/j.ejogrb.2013.05.015. Epub 2013 Jun 28. Eur J Obstet Gynecol Reprod Biol. 2013. PMID: 23810846 Review.
Haneda K, Hosoya M, Fujimori K, Yasumura S, Nishigori H, Kuse M, Kyozuka H, Maeda H, Sato A, Ogata Y, Hashimoto K; Japan Environment and Children’s Study (JECS) Group. Haneda K, et al. Matern Child Health J. 2024 Jun;28(6):1031-1041. doi: 10.1007/s10995-024-03908-4. Epub 2024 Mar 11. Matern Child Health J. 2024. PMID: 38466370 Free PMC article.
Tawfeeq NA, Hilal F, Alharbi NM, Alowid F, Almaghrabi RY, Alsubhi R, Alharbi SF, Fallatah A, Aloufi LM, Alsaleh NA. Tawfeeq NA, et al. Cureus. 2023 Sep 10;15(9):e44972. doi: 10.7759/cureus.44972. eCollection 2023 Sep. Cureus. 2023. PMID: 37822429 Free PMC article.
Chan J, Mackay L, Bloomfield F, Crowther C, Lee A, Morris JM, Hay R, Oakes-Ter Bals M, Thurnell C, De Jong P, Carlsen V, Williams T, Groom KM. Chan J, et al. BMJ Open. 2022 Sep 7;12(9):e062309. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2022-062309. BMJ Open. 2022. PMID: 36691173 Free PMC article. Clinical Trial.
Carauleanu A, Tanasa IA, Nemescu D, Socolov D. Carauleanu A, et al. Exp Ther Med. 2021 Sep;22(3):956. doi: 10.3892/etm.2021.10388. Epub 2021 Jul 6. Exp Ther Med. 2021. PMID: 34335898 Free PMC article. Review.
Liu M, Xue M, Yang Q, Du W, Yan X, Tan J, Duan T, Hua J. Liu M, et al. BMC Pregnancy Childbirth. 2021 Mar 17;21(1):215. doi: 10.1186/s12884-021-03708-6. BMC Pregnancy Childbirth. 2021. PMID: 33731060 Free PMC article.