Factors Associated with Women with Multiple Caesarean Deliveries Presenting in Labour and their Fetomaternal Outcomes in Mwanza Region, Tanzania.

Abstract

Background: Emergency caesarean section(C-section) for women with two or more uterine scars is documented to be associated with poor fetomaternal outcomes. The World Health Organization recommends elective C-section for women with two or more previous scars. However, in Tanzania there is a paucity of data for women with two or more prior C-sections and how it contributes to increased maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality when they come in active labour without a planned delivery. The purpose of the study was to determine factors associated with pregnant women with multiple C-section deliveries presenting in labour and their fetomaternal outcomes.

Methods: This was a cross-sectional, hospital-based study, involving 275 pregnant women who underwent C-section due to multiple uterine scars in the Mwanza region. Socio-demographic and clinical characteristics were collected serially until the sample size was reached using a structured questionnaire and patients’ files. Data were analyzed using STATA version 13.0 software.

Results: All pregnant women with two or more previous uterine scars attended antenatal care (ANC) and the majority, 62.2%, had four or more visits. However, 61.9% were not told of the need for elective C-section. In addition, 26% were not counselled about the obstetric danger signs. Among the study participants, 66.6% presented with labour pain requiring emergency C-section, 13.1% had postpartum hemorrhage and 3.3% had ruptured uterus. There were 3.3% peri-natal deaths and 10.9% required newborn resuscitation. The associated factors for women with two or more C-section scars presenting in active labour were: having the last ANC visit at primary healthcare (PHC) facility (p=0.046), unemployment (p<0.001), visiting ANC <4 visits (p=0.002) or being attended by a non-physician health provider in her last ANC visit(p<0.001).

Conclusion: Parturient women with uterine scars, when attending primary health care facilities for their ANC visits, ought to be counselled and referred to high facilities with clinicians who can plan an elective c-section delivery.