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IMAGE: Dr. Deshayne Fell, Scientist at the CHEO Research Institute and Associate Professor in the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Ottawa view more
Credit: University of Ottawa
The Government of Canada, through its COVID-19 Immunity Task Force (CITF) and Vaccine Surveillance Reference Group (VSRG), is investing approximately $1.3 million for two Canadian research teams to further evaluate vaccine safety and effectiveness in pregnant people. While pregnant or breastfeeding individuals were excluded from the initial mRNA and viral vector COVID-19 clinical trials, recent real-world evidence is showing that mRNA COVID-19 vaccines are safe during pregnancy. Additional research and surveillance of COVID-19 vaccination among pregnant and lactating populations is needed.
Researchers of the study assessed data on pregnancies over a six-year period
Planned C-sections may even involve a lower risk of adverse events, compared to planned vaginal deliveries
Giving birth is a pivotal life event, and for most women, choosing between having a Caesarean (C-section) or natural birth is a daunting decision.
Both birthing options come with risks and potential complications, but while C-sections are a choice for some women, they are generally carried out for medical reasons, including the foetus being in the wrong position, or the mother suffering from preeclampsia.
Now, new research by Ottawa University scientists provides reassurance that planned C-sections pose no bigger threat than vaginal deliveries for either mother or baby. In fact, it found indications that women taking this birth route might even be better off.
The study used province-wide data from the Better Outcomes Registry & Network (BORN), Ontario s provincial birth registry. The authors analyzed data on 422,210 low-risk pregnancies over 6 years (2012 to 2018). There were 46,533 cesarean deliveries, of which 1827 (3.9%) were planned at the request of the mother; this proportion was unchanged during the years of study. Mothers who requested cesarean delivery were more likely to be White, to be aged 35 years or older, to have conceived by in vitro fertilization, to be delivering their first baby, and to live in a higher-income neighbourhood, among other characteristics. Our finding that CDMR [cesarean delivery on maternal request] rates have remained stable in Ontario provides reassurance to those concerned about the potential contribution of CDMR to rising cesarean delivery rates, writes Dr. Darine El-Chaâr, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Newborn Care, The Ottawa Hospital, Ottawa, Ontario, with coauthors.