Vaginal birth safe after C-sections

A study published in a prominent medical journal says even women who have had multiple Caesarian sections can safely deliver a baby vaginally.

The study in Obstetrics and Gynecology found that the incidence of uterine tears or ruptures from a vaginal birth were only slightly higher in women who had more than one Cesarean, USA Today reported Friday.

Of the nearly 18,000 women involved in the study, ruptures occurred in 0.9 percent of women with multiple previous C-sections and 0.7 percent of women with one C-section.

Lead author Mark Landon, professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Ohio State University in Columbus, said most practitioners have shied from offering vaginal births to women with multiple prior Cesareans because of a perceived risk of uterine rupture, the newspaper reported.

The study showed if such women have an increased risk of rupture, it must be quite small, Landon said.

As a result of the findings a spokesman for the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, Gary Hankins, told USA Today he expects his group will revise its advice for women who've had multiple C-sections.

Copyright 2006 by United Press International

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