Clinical Research Directory

Planned Mode of Delivery After Caesarean: a Comparative Prospective National Population-based Cohort Study

In women with one previous caesarean, the choice of mode of delivery is determined by a shared decision-making process between the women and the obstetrician, with the two options being a trial of labour after caesarean (TOLAC) or an elective repeat caesarean delivery (ERCD). To date, the scientific literature has reported of higher perinatal morbidity-mortality with TOLAC, although with low absolute risks and discordant results about maternal morbidity-mortality. These studies suffer from limitations, as they include women with more than one previous caesarean or with high rates of failed TOLAC, which are two risk factors for uterine rupture, and the definition of planned versus effective mode of delivery is not precise in most studies. However, scientific societies recommend that most women with one previous caesarean should be offered TOLAC because of the low absolute perinatal risk of this option and the high maternal and perinatal risk associated with an ERCD in the short- and long-term. Conversely, the investigators hypothesise that TOLAC would be not inferior to ERCD in women with one previous caesarean in terms of perinatal morbidity-mortality.

Birth Cohort Study of China Medical University

The CMUBCS is a birth cohort study located in Shenyang, China. Its initial aim is to facilitate research on understanding the interplay between genes and environmental factors on disease etiology. Data are collected regarding environmental factors, family and lifestyle, clinical experimental outcomes and imaging results of pregnant women and children from birth to 18 years old. Biological samples including blood and tissue samples are also collected from the children and their parents.