Identifying Risk Factors for Cesarean Delivery in a Predominantly Hispanic Teenage Population: A 5-Year Retrospective Study

Study Objective: To identify risk factors for primary nonelective cesarean delivery, in a predominantly Hispanic teen population of an urban tertiary care center. Design: Retrospective descriptive study. Setting: A tertiary academic center with approximately 3000 deliveries per year. Participants: Our study population comprised all women (ages 13-19 years at time of delivery) who gave birth at our tertiary university hospital between July 2011 and July 2016. Interventions: None. Main Outcome Measures: Our main outcome of interest was primary nonelective cesarean delivery. Results: Of the 958 included deliveries, 9.6% (92/958) were delivered via nonelective cesarean section. The population was 89% Hispanic with a mean age of 17.7 years. Age, body mass index at delivery, and neonatal birth weight were significantly associated with delivery via cesarean section. Mothers of neonates with extremes of birth weights (<2500 g, >4000 g) had higher odds of having a cesarean delivery, compared with neonates with normal birth weight (odds ratio, 3.27; 95% confidence interval 1.90-5.63 and odds ratio, 4.43; 95% confidence interval,1.33-14.72). Conclusion: Among adolescent patients, age, body mass index at delivery, and birth weight of the neonate were found to be risk factors that place the gravid teen at increased risk for cesarean delivery.