Cesarean section still needs attention: prevalence and causes of cesarean section in Jahrom, 2008

Introduction:Cesarean section is on one side one of the essential actions taken to protect the life and health of the fetus and mother, however, it is not without complications either for the mother or the baby. In this study, we aimed to determine the prevalence of cesarean section and its causes in Jahrom in order to plan for safe deliveries. Material and Methods: In a descriptive analytic study, we investigated maternal age, type of delivery, delivery rank, cause of cesarean section, birth weight and gestational age using a questionnaire. Results: The prevalence of cesarean section was 32.21%. 63.1% of women (652 cases) who had cesarean section were from urban and 36.9% (382 subjects) from rural areas. Also, 483 (47.7%) of the women were nullipar. The most common causes of cesarean section were previous cesarean section (34.9%), fetal distress (20.2%), dystocia (11.1%) and cephalopelvic disproportion (10.7%), respectively. 6.7% of the cesarean section deliveries were done due to the mothers' request.Conclusion: The prevalence of cesarean section in Jahrom is more than the world's standards. In order to decrease the number of unnecessary cesarean sections, educating the young pregnant mothers about the disadvantages of cesarean section seems to be necessary.