Influencing Factors to Delivery Selection in Pregnant Women; A Case study in Tehran

Introduction: Considering the side-effects of Cesarean Section, attempts have been made to reduce the rate in different societies. The present study aimed to explore the issue. Particularly, the study focused on what it is that makes Cesarean as the first childbirth option. Material &Method: This is a descriptive study. The participants of the study were 226 pregnant women referring to a Tehran-located clinic, Iran, during Jan to March 2012that were selected based on purposeful method. Qualitative content analysis was used to analyze the data. A questionnaire consisting of open-ended and demographic-related items was employed to collect data. SPSS (Ver. 16) was used for statistical analysis. Results: A total of 226 pregnant women studied that 101 (44.7%) and 125 (55.3%) selected vaginal delivery and Cesarean Section, respectively. The women selecting Cesarean Section mentioned fear of vaginal delivery and its side-effect (55.3%), vaginal delivery inability (16.78%), and past Cesarean Section experience as the reasons behind their preference. Conclusion: Given that requests for Cesarean Section have been associated with fear of a vaginal delivery and its side-effects, it is recommended that Cesarean seekers be provided with technical counseling in hospitals and clinics.