Audit of Caesarean Section Births in Small Private Maternity Homes: Analysis of 15-Year Data Applying the Modified Robson Criteria, Canada.

OBJECTIVES: To audit the data of caesarean sections carried out in single-handed-run small private hospitals on the basis of the modified Robson criteria (Canada), to know the changing trends of caesarean sections over a considerable duration of time (15 years) in private sector, and to focus on a particular group out of the classification of caesarean section in the efforts to reduce the caesarean section rate.

METHODS: It is a retrospective observational study of 7342 caesarean section cases carried out in different small private maternity hospitals over a period of 15 years. The data analysed by applying the modified Robson criteria (Canada) and the changing trends were studied in the view of reducing caesarean section rate.

RESULTS: Statistically significant increasing trend was observed in groups of both primary and repeat caesarean section cases done before the onset of labour in the last 5 years.

CONCLUSION: Auditing the data of caesarean sections on the basis of the modified Robson criteria (Canada) is a better way of classification as compared to Ten Group Classification System (TGCS). The change in trends is seen only in the last 5 years, which suggests that there is shift in attitude of the obstetricians of small private hospitals in performing caesarean sections before onset of labour than performing it after the onset of labour. Our analysis suggests the obstetricians from small private hospitals to target groups 2B, 4B and 5C.