The research findings indicate that women who have undergone a cesarean section have a lower short-term pregnancy rate and a higher risk of infertility compared to women who have given birth through natural delivery. Short-term pregnancy rate refers to the likelihood of becoming pregnant within one month or one menstrual cycle.
Professor Henea Abebaw Shima’s research team at the University of Bergen in Norway utilized records from 74,024 women who had given birth in a parent-child matched group for their study. They compared and analyzed the short-term pregnancy rates and infertility risks per ovulatory cycle based on different past childbirth types.
The research results revealed that women who had previously undergone cesarean section had a higher infertility rate at 9.9%, compared to women who had given birth naturally before (7.3%). Women with a history of cesarean section also exhibited a 10% lower short-term pregnancy rate than women who had previously given birth naturally. Additionally, women who failed to conceive within 12 or more menstrual cycles had a 57% higher cesarean section delivery rate compared to those who conceived within two menstrual cycles. Even after considering demographic, clinical risk factors, and the number of childbirths, the results remained consistent.
The research team stated, "There is a bidirectional relationship between cesarean section and short-term pregnancy rates."
This study was recently published in the ’American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology.’
source：HealthChosun