Increasing caesarean section rate.

At the University Hospital in Uppsala 719 Caesarean Sectons (C.S.) were performed 1966-1970. The total number of deliveries was 16 708. The C.S. rate increased from 2.0% to 7.8%. This trent was mainly due to an increasing frequency of C.S. performed for cephalopelvic disproportion fetal distress "bad obstetrical history" and failed induction of labour with intravenous oxytocin drip. No maternal deaths occurred. The perinatal mortality was 5.0%. In infants with a birth weight of 1 500 g or less the perinatal mortality was 57% and in infants with a birth weight of more than 2 500 g and a gestational age of 37 weeks or more it was 0.9%. In 207 elective C.S. on healthy mothers at term no perinatal deaths were noted.