VBAC: a medicolegal perspective

Clarissa Bonanno; Marilee Clausing; Richard Berkowitz

doi:10.1016/j.clp.2011.03.005

VBAC: a medicolegal perspective

Clin Perinatol. 2011 Jun;38(2):217-25. doi: 10.1016/j.clp.2011.03.005. Epub 2011 Apr 13.

Authors

Clarissa Bonanno¹, Marilee Clausing, Richard Berkowitz

Affiliation

¹ Department of Obstetrics Gynecology, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA. cab90@columbia.edu

PMID: 21645790
DOI: 10.1016/j.clp.2011.03.005

Abstract

History has always been a series of pendulum swings, and there is perhaps no better example in obstetrics than that of vaginal birth after cesarean. Vaginal birth after cesarean (VBAC) rates rose steadily in the early 1990s. However, VBAC rates have declined dramatically over recent years, while the cesarean delivery rate has continued to rise unabated. Many physicians and hospitals are no longer offering trial of labor after cesarean, largely because of medicolegal concerns. This article explores the medical and legal risks of trial of labor after cesarean.

MeSH terms

Attitude of Health Personnel
Female
Humans
Liability, Legal*
Malpractice
Obstetrics / legislation & jurisprudence
Practice Patterns, Physicians'
Pregnancy
Risk Assessment
Risk Factors
Trial of Labor*
Uterine Rupture / etiology
Vaginal Birth after Cesarean / legislation & jurisprudence*