| Condition |
Evidence |
| Anesthetic complications |
Limited evidence suggests that a moderate excess number of healthy women having cesarean delivery may experience complications with anesthesia. |
| Cardiac arrest |
Limited evidence suggests that a moderate excess number of healthy women may experience cardiac arrest in association with cesarean delivery. |
| Cesarean scar endometriosis |
Limited evidence suggests that a small to large excess number of women having cesarean delivery develop cesarean scar endometriosis. |
| Dense intra-abdominal adhesions |
Limited evidence suggests that a very large number of women develop dense adhesions after cesarean delivery. |
| Hematoma |
Limited evidence suggests that a large excess number of healthy women having cesarean delivery have wound hematomas. |
| Hospital readmission |
A moderate to large excess number of healthy women having cesarean delivery require readmission to the hospital compared to women with prior vaginal births. |
| Hysterectomy |
A moderate excess number of women with prior cesarean delivery require an urgent hysterectomy during the next delivery admission compared with women with only prior vaginal birth. Limited evidence suggests that the excess increases with subsequent pregnancies. |
| ICU admission |
Limited Evidence suggests that a large excess number of women with prior cesarean are admitted to ICU at the next delivery. |
| Longer hospital stay |
Planned cesarean delivery increases length of hospital stay for mothers by at least 0.6 to 2 days. Limited evidence suggests that a large excess number of babies whose mothers had prior cesarean delivery have hospital stays of more than 7 days compared with babies whose mothers had prior vaginal birth. |
| Major infection |
Evidence suggests that a moderate to large excess number of healthy women having planned cesarean delivery experience major puerperal infection. |
| Obesity |
Limited evidence suggests that a large excess number of children delivered by cesarean may be obese at age three. |
| Operative maternal injury |
Among women having a first delivery via cesarean delivery, a moderate number of women experience bladder puncture and a small number experience bowel injury to a ureter. |
| Persistent pain at the site of the cesarean incision |
Limited evidence suggests that a large to very large number of women still experience pain at the incision site 6-10 months or more after cesarean delivery. |
| Physical recovery |
With the exception of the presence of hemorrhoids, which are more common with vaginal birth, a large to very large excess number of women having cesarean delivery experience problems with physical recovery, including general health, bodily pain, extreme tiredness, sleep problem, bowel problems, ability to carry out daily activities and ability to perform strenuous activities. |
| Placenta abruption |
A moderate excess number of women with first delivery via cesarean have placental abruption in subsequent pregnancies. |
| Placenta accreta |
A small excess number of women with first delivery via cesarean delivery develop placenta accreta in the next pregnancy. A large excess number of women develop placenta accrete after multiple prior cesareans. |
| Placenta previa |
A small excess number of women with first delivery by cesarean delivery develop placenta previa in the next pregnancy. A large excess number of women develop placenta previa after two or more prior cesareans. |
| Pulmonary hypertension |
Limited evidence suggests that a moderate excess number of babies delivered by elective cesarean delivery may develop pulmonary hypertension. |
| Re-operation |
Limited evidence suggests that a moderate number of women having cesarean delivery require re-operation. |
| Stillbirth |
Data conflict but suggest that a small to moderate excess number of babies developing in a uterus with a cesarean scar are stillborn. |
| Surgical cuts to the baby |
Limited evidence suggests that a moderate number of babies are cut during cesarean delivery. |
| Thromboembolic events |
A small to moderate excess number of healthy women having cesarean delivery experience a blood clot. |
| Urgent hysterectomy |
A small to moderate excess number of women having initial cesarean delivery undergo unplanned hysterectomy. |
| Uterine rupture |
A moderate excess number of women will experience uterine rupture with prior cesarean delivery. |
| Ventilation at birth |
Limited evidence suggests that a large excess number of babies whose mothers had prior cesarean may require ventilation at birth |
| Voluntary infertility |
A large to very large excess number of women choose to not conceive again after cesarean delivery. |
| Wound disruption |
Limited evidence suggests that a small excess number of healthy women having cesarean delivery have wound disruption. |
| Wound infection |
A large excess number of healthy women having cesarean delivery have wound infections. |
