Discover the SCIENTIFIC ARTICLE published on 23/03/24 in Midwifery: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.midw.2024.103979
Principal author: Camille Etcheverry, midwife and doctoral student in epidemiology within the QUALI-DEC project – March 2024
In the field of women’s choice and preference of mode of delivery, the latest scientific article published in Midwifery highlights the survey work of the international multidisciplinary QUAL-DEC team, which shows that, contrary to popular belief, the majority of women prefer vaginal delivery, particularly in low- and middle-income countries, even though Caesarean section rates are rising steadily in these same countries. This cross-sectional survey conducted in the 4 countries covered by the QUALI-DEC project (Argentina, Burkina Faso, Thailand and Vietnam) highlights the excessive use of caesarean sections, even among low-risk women.
This alarming finding can be attributed to a number of multidimensional factors, including women’s preferences. In this study of 1,979 post-partum women in 32 hospitals with no medical indication for caesarean section before the onset of labour, our teams’ findings suggest that a high proportion of women prefer vaginal delivery. Women who prefer Caesarean section are more likely to be those who have never given birth. Their choice is often motivated by fear of pain and childbirth. These results show that it is necessary to take account of women’s preference for the vaginal route and to support them in this choice, which is what QUALI-DEC is proposing to do.
The aim of this project is to reduce the number of non-medically justified caesarean sections and encourage natural childbirth. It provides pregnant women, their families and healthcare professionals with non-clinical tools and researchers with evaluation studies on caesarean sections to help guide the choice of the most appropriate mode of delivery. QUALI-DEC provides objective, scientific analysis and information on the advantages and disadvantages of each mode of childbirth.
Read the full article published on 23/03/24 in Midwifery: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.midw.2024.103979
Authors: Camille Etcheverry, Ana Pilar Betrán, Myriam de Loenzien, Charles Kaboré, Pisake Lumbiganon, Guillermo Carroli, Quoc Nhu Hung Mac, Celina Gialdini, Alexandre Dumont and the QUALI-DEC research group.
