Effect of age and parity on primary caesarean section rates

OBJECTIVE: To study the effect of maternal age and parity on the rates of primary caesarean section. METHOD: We reviewed all patients who delivered at the Princess Badeea Teaching Hospital between 1 January, 1995 and 26 November, 1995. RESULTS: There were 8,732 deliveries included in this study. The primary caesarean section rates in primiparous women less than 25, 25 to 34 and over 34 years of age were 6.1%, 11.1% and 22.2%, respectively. A similarly dramatic rise with advancing maternal age was seen in multiparous women with rates of 3.1%, 6.4% and 9.5%, respectively, in the three age groups. A strong association between maternal age and primary caesarean section exists (p < 0.05). Caesarean section rates in the primiparous women were higher in all age groups when compared with multiparous women (p < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: Increasing maternal age and parity are factors strongly associated with increased primary caesarean section rates.