Cesarean section rates in Lucas do Rio Verde, Brazil: Assessing the impact of socioeconomic status and maternal and neonatal outcomes

Authors

• Ramya Vemulapalli
• Roni Arienti
• Linder Wendt
• Jay Brooks Jackson
• Mary B Rysavy
• Kimberly A Kenne

Language

English

Publication Date

1-1-2026

DOI

10.1177/17455057261446937

PMID

42047604

PMCID

PMC13145035

PubMedCentral® Posted Date

4-28-2026

PubMedCentral® Full Text Version

Post-print

Abstract

Background

Brazil is globally known for its high rate of cesarean section despite endorsing the WHO’s current recommendation of 15%.

Objectives

Determine if socioeconomic status correlated with the rate of cesarean section (CS) at a mixed private and public hospital in the west-central region of Brazil. Describe the maternal and neonatal outcomes by mode of delivery (MOD) in the same population.

Design

Cohort study

Methods

Data from all delivering patients at São Lucas Hospital were collected during an 18-month period and analyzed. Demographics, baseline maternal health status, pregnancy and delivery information, maternal outcomes, and neonatal outcomes were entered into a secure database.

Results

Data from 2,103 women who delivered at São Lucas Hospital were collected. 75% of women delivered via CS. 53.7% were elective in nature. Women who had ≥ 8 prenatal visits (OR1.36, 95% CI 1.06- 1.72, p= 0.013) and had insurance type plan (OR 1.88, 95% CI 1.43-2.50, p< 0.001) were more likely to undergo CS. Women who worked in the commercial sector were less likely to undergo CS (OR 0.53, 95% CI 0.33-0.90, p= 0.015). Women who were older (OR 1.05, 95% CI 1.03-1.07, p < 0.001) and had a high BMI (OR 1.11, 95% CI 1.08-1.13, p< 0.001) were more likely to undergo CS. When examining women who underwent CS those women who were white (OR 1.40, 95% CI 1.11-1.78, p=0.005), were older (OR 1.04, 95% CI 1.03-1.06, p< 0.001), worked in agriculture (OR 2.06, 95% CI 1.22-3.57, p=0.008), and had insurance type private (OR 1.79, 95% CI 1.22-2.65, p=0.003) or plan (OR 2.47, 95% CI 1.92-3.19, p< 0.001) were more likely to have an elective CS. MOD was not associated with maternal or neonatal outcomes.

Conclusion

CS rates at São Lucas Hospital are high. Socioeconomic factors and maternal demographics were predictive of MOD. Maternal and neonatal outcomes in term deliveries did not differ by MOD.

Keywords

Humans, Female, Brazil, Cesarean Section, Pregnancy, Adult, Pregnancy Outcome, Infant, Newborn, Socioeconomic Factors, Social Class, Young Adult, Prenatal Care, cesarean section rate, mode of delivery, socioeconomic, Brazil

Published Open-Access

yes

Recommended Citation

Vemulapalli, Ramya; Arienti, Roni; Wendt, Linder; et al., "Cesarean section rates in Lucas do Rio Verde, Brazil: Assessing the impact of socioeconomic status and maternal and neonatal outcomes" (2026). Faculty, Staff and Student Publications. 3909.
https://digitalcommons.library.tmc.edu/uthmed_docs/3909