Cesarean birth rates in Europe are monitored using information systems. The individual countries collect high-quality data to frame their C-section policies. This evidence-based procedure is refined using clinically-relevant data. Robson’s Ten Group Classification System( TGCS) divides caesarean births into subgroups. This study uses TGCS to extract and analyze data to monitor childbirths.
The researchers utilized routine data from 27 EU countries to analyze C-section rates in Europe. The assessment also included UK’s Northern Ireland, Switzerland, Norway, and Iceland. The observational study was designed with a population, including all births >= 22 weeks of gestational age in 2015. Medical birth registers and national statistical offices from 18 out of 31 states provided the cesarean birth numbers for TGCS groups. The team measured the overall C-section rate and its prevalence. The cesarean rates in each TGCS group were also part of the main outcome.
The C-section birth rates were in the range of 16.1% to 56.9%. Countries with TGCS data had lower rates at 25.8% than those without data at 32.9% with a probability of 0.04. States with higher caesarean rates had higher rates in all groups of TGCS. But the differences were substantial in groups with singleton cephalic pattern, nulliparous or multiparous breach, and previous C-sections.
The percentage of differences in a group with abnormalities is significant. It shows un-standardized definitions of TGCS that could have lead to potential misclassification. The quality of data requires further validation, although TGCS proved valuable for comparison. It ensures effective monitoring and benchmarks for baseline data. Countries with higher C-sections may have to invest in TGCS.
Ref: https://obgyn.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1471-0528.16634
