CC BY 4.0 · Rev Bras Ginecol Obstet 2019; 41(03): 147-154
DOI: 10.1055/s-0038-1676524
Original Article
Thieme Revinter Publicações Ltda Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Exploring Obstetrical Interventions and Stratified Cesarean Section Rates Using the Robson Classification in Tertiary Care Hospitals in the United Arab Emirates

1   Department of Medical Education and Research, Dubai Health Authority, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
2   Department of Primary Health Care, Dubai Medical College, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
,
Sara Saad Abdullah
2   Department of Primary Health Care, Dubai Medical College, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
,
Aminah Fuad Khalil Alaani
2   Department of Primary Health Care, Dubai Medical College, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
,
Noora Hassan AlAbdool
2   Department of Primary Health Care, Dubai Medical College, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
,
Fatma Elzahraa Yehia Sherif
2   Department of Primary Health Care, Dubai Medical College, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
,
Zainab SalahEldin Ahmed
3   Dubai Health Authority, Latifa Hospital, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
,
Hiba Issa Al-Rawi
4   Dubai Health Authority, Dubai Hospital, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
,
Nawal Mahmood Hubaishi
4   Dubai Health Authority, Dubai Hospital, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
,
Muna AbdulRazzaq Tahlak
3   Dubai Health Authority, Latifa Hospital, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
,
Frederick R Carrick
5   Bedfordshire Centre for Mental Health Research in association with University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
6   Harvard Medical School-Harvard Macy Institute, Boston, MA, United States
7   Neurology Department, Carrick Institute, Cape Canaveral, FL, United States
› Author Affiliations
Further Information

Publication History

27 August 2018

22 October 2018

Publication Date:
14 March 2019 (online)

Abstract

Objective The objective of the present study was to explore obstetric management in relation to clinical, maternal and child health outcomes by using the Robson classification system.

Methods Data was collected from obstetrics registries in tertiary care hospitals in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Results The analysis of > 5,400 deliveries (60% of all the deliveries in 2016) in major maternity hospitals in Dubai showed that groups 5, 8 and 9 of Robson’s classification were the largest contributors to the overall cesarean section (CS) rate and accounted for 30% of the total CS rate. The results indicate that labor was spontaneous in 2,221 (45%) of the women and was augmented or induced in almost 1,634 cases (33%). The birth indication rate was of 64% for normal vaginal delivery, of 24% for emergency CS, and of 9% for elective CS. The rate of vaginal birth after cesarean was 261 (6%), the rate of external cephalic version was 28 (0.7%), and the rate of induction was 1,168 (21.4%). The prevalence of the overall Cesarean section was 33%; with majority (53.5%) of it being repeated Cesarean section.

Conclusion The CS rate in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is higher than the global average rate and than the average rate in Asia, which highlights the need for more education of pregnant women and of their physicians in order to promote vaginal birth. A proper planning is needed to reduce the number of CSs in nulliparous women in order to prevent repeated CSs in the future. Monitoring both CS rates and outcomes is essential to ensure that policies, practices, and actions for the optimization of the utilization of CS lead to improved maternal and infant outcomes.

Contributions

Abdulrahman M., Tahlak M. A., Hubaishi N. M., and Carrick F. designed the study, performed the data interpretation, wrote the first draft of the manuscript, and critically reviewed the final draft. Abdullah S. S., Alaani A. F. K, AlAbdool N. H., Sherif F. E. Y., Ahmed Z. S., and Al-Rawi H. I. contributed to the recruitment of the files of the patients files, to the data analysis and interpretation, and to the writing the manuscript. Abdulrahman M. and Carrick F. monitored the data analysis and reviewed the manuscript. All of the authors revised the manuscript critically and gave the final approval for the submission for publication.