MATERNAL RESQUEST CESAREAN SECTION

IMPACT ON NEONATAL HEALTH IN THE FIRST HOUR OF LIFE

Abstract

This study aimed to describe the health profile of newborns delivered by cesarean section upon maternal resquest in their first hour of life. It is a retrospective, cohort, cross-sectional, observational study with a quantitative approach, based on the analysis of electronic medical records of births by cesarean section at maternal request in a public hospital, compared to those born by medically indicated cesarean section and vaginal delivery. The data were analyzed using simple descriptive statistics, with the determination of prevalence ratios, confidence intervals (CI = 95%), and the chi-square test, considering a significance level of 5% (p<0.05). The study identified 4045 births in 2023, with 6.51% corresponding to cesarean sections at maternal request. There was a predominance of female newborns (50.57%), term births, and Apgar scores of 7 or higher (85.15% at the first minute and 97.96% at the fifth minute). The majority of neonates were placed in rooming-in (99.47%), with a low probability of admission to the neonatal ICU or NICU. Early breastfeeding occurred in 30.82% of cases, and the incidence of birth complications was 19.39%. Compared to medically indicated cesareans, there was a lower prevalence of complications and of an Apgar score lower than 7 in the first minute, but a higher probability of birth complications compared to vaginal delivery. Although no serious complications occurred, there is exposure to factors that may favor the presence of complications at birth and the need for neonatal resuscitation procedures.