Cesarian Births in Brazil: Clinical Indication or Convenience?

Objective: To investigate the patterns of hospital births in Brazil 2013–2015 according to the birth group classification proposed by Robson. Methods: Data were obtained from the SINASC-DATASUS database and used to group pregnant women relatively to Robson’s classification, which is based on information concerning pregnancy and delivery. Results: Of the total 8,440,712 live births in Brazil, 2013–2015; 6,704,830 records could be used. Most pregnancies were classified in groups 5, 2 and 3; and 56.2% of the deliveries were c-sections. The groups 1, 2 and 5 contribute to two-thirds od the overall caesarean section rate. Vaginal births were higher in the Robson’s groups 3, 4 and 1. Conclusion: There are indications that non-clinical factors had an influence over the decision for cesarean sections in Brazil, 2013–2015.