OBJECTIVE: To compare total delivery numbers and cesarean rates in Kahramanmaras city center during 2004 and 2006. Design: Delivery records have been reviewed retrospectively. Setting: All hospitals in Kahramanmaras city center. Patients: Delivered pregnants. Interventions: None. Main Outcome Measures: Demographic characteritics, delivery routes of the pregnants and newborn birthweights. RESULTS: Cesarean section was performed in 3994 out of the 11611 deliveries (34.4 %) in 2004 and 5573 out of the 13684 deliveries (40.2 %) in 2006. There was an increase in both delivery number and cesarean rates in 2006 when compared with 2004. Delivery rates were increased from 10.3 % and 8.8 % in 2004 to 17.7 % and 12.9 % in 2006 for high risk groups like under 20 and above 35 year-old pregnants, respectively. Also, premature neonates below 2500 and macrosomic babies above 4000 g were increased in 2006 when compared with 2004. It may be thought that, an increase in delivery numbers, high risk pregnancies and cesarean rates could be inevitably cause a higher delivery complication ratios as years run. CONCLUSIONS: Obstetrician should be careful before a cesarean decision because previous cesarean is leading cesarean indication.
Keywords: cesarean delivery, Kahramanmaras, vaginal delivery