Does C-Section Increase Risk for Stillbirth in Subsequent Pregnancy?

The cesarean birth rate in the U.S. has increased sharply, including for first births, but the effect of prior C-section on risk for stillbirth in a second pregnancy is not clear. For this retrospective cohort study, data on nearly 11,000 women were obtained from a large academic hospital from 1994 to 2002. Women who were pregnant after one prior birth were included unless they had multiple gestations, fetal anomalies, or gestation <24 weeks or >43 weeks in their current pregnancies. Outcomes of second pregnancies were compared based on method of the first birth: vaginal (78%) or cesarean (22%). The primary outcome measure was antepartum fetal death at >24 weeks' gestation in the second pregnancy.

Women whose first delivery was by cesarean w…