Vaginal birth following two cesarean deliveries--are the risks exaggerated?

Background: Prior to 1996, most women who had undergone two previous cesarean deliveries were offered only cesarean delivery at Al-Hasa Health Centre. A policy of trial of labor was instituted in 1996. We compared the outcome of trial of labor versus cesarean delivery in women with a history of two previous cesarean deliveries who delivered between 1997 and 2002.

Maternal sickle cell anemia and neonatal isoimmunization.

Objective: To study the risk of alloimmunization in pregnant women with sickle cell disease (SCD) and of isoimmunization in their offspring.

Method: Thirty mothers with SCD were studied and their 35 neonates (group 1) were compared with 538 infants of mothers without hemoglobinopathies (group 2).

Result: Six mothers with SCD developed alloantibodies.