Repeat teen birth: does delivery mode make a difference?

Objective

We sought to evaluate the association between the rate of repeat adolescent births and mode of delivery.

Study Design

This was a retrospective cohort study of 899 adolescents delivering in Rhode Island. Repeat birth rates were calculated and compared between adolescents delivering their first baby via cesarean vs vaginally. Fisher's exact test, Wilcoxon rank sum test, and survival analysis methods were utilized.

Results

Total repeat birth rate within 2 years was 15.9% with 17.4% for the cesarean cohort and 15.6% for the vaginal birth cohort (relative risk, 1.12; 95% confidence interval, 0.77–1.62). Median duration to repeat birth in the cesarean cohort was 20 months; for the vaginal birth cohort it was 17.6 months.

Conclusion

Repeat birth within 2 years of index birth for teen mothers whose first birth was a cesarean vs vaginal delivery was not statistically different; the trend in time to next delivery may give us information about when to direct interventions to prevent second pregnancies.

Key words: cesarean section, repeat birth, teen pregnancy