C-Section Increases Stillbirth Risk in Later Pregnancies

The increasing rate of cesarean section has drawn substantial attention in the medical community and general population and has raised concerns about potential adverse effects. These investigators examined 2 large, well-established, national databases to determine whether C-section increases risk for stillbirth in subsequent pregnancies. Data were available on 120,633 singleton second births that occurred in Scotland from 1992 to 1998; exclusion criteria included delivery before 24 weeks' or after 43 weeks' gestation, birth weight <500 g, and perinatal death due to congenital abnormalities or rhesus isoimmunization.

There were 68 antepartum stillbirths among 17,754 women who previously had delivered by C-section and 244 antepartum stillbirth…