Which statement describes a VBAC benefit?

Which statement describes a VBAC benefit?

• A. Lower risk of emergency cesarean during labor
• B. Higher risk of placenta previa in future pregnancies
• C. More respiratory problems for baby
• D. Longer hospital stay

Answer: (A)

Trying a vaginal birth after a prior cesarean reduces the need for surgical delivery during labor. If labor progresses and a vaginal birth occurs, there’s no cesarean to perform, avoiding the emergency surgery and its associated risks. That makes the statement describing a lower risk of an emergency cesarean during labor the best description of a VBAC benefit. A prior cesarean does raise the risk of placenta previa in future pregnancies, so that option isn’t a benefit. Neonatal respiratory problems are more commonly linked to cesarean deliveries performed before or during labor, so that isn’t a VBAC benefit either. And, in general, VBAC is associated with a shorter hospital stay compared with a repeat cesarean, not a longer one.

Trying a vaginal birth after a prior cesarean reduces the need for surgical delivery during labor. If labor progresses and a vaginal birth occurs, there’s no cesarean to perform, avoiding the emergency surgery and its associated risks. That makes the statement describing a lower risk of an emergency cesarean during labor the best description of a VBAC benefit. A prior cesarean does raise the risk of placenta previa in future pregnancies, so that option isn’t a benefit. Neonatal respiratory problems are more commonly linked to cesarean deliveries performed before or during labor, so that isn’t a VBAC benefit either. And, in general, VBAC is associated with a shorter hospital stay compared with a repeat cesarean, not a longer one.