• A C E Angeja, A E Washington, J E Vargas, R Gomez, I Rojas, and A B Caughey.
• Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94143, USA.
• BJOG. 2006 Nov 1;113(11):1253-8.

ObjectiveCaesarean section rates in Chile are reported to be as high as 60% in some populations. The purpose of this study was to determine pregnant Chilean women's preferences towards mode of delivery.DesignInterviewer-administered cross-sectional survey.SettingPrenatal clinics in Santiago, Chile. Population Pregnant women in Santiago, Chile.MethodsOf 180 women completing the questionnaire, 90 were interviewed at a private clinic (caesarean delivery rate 60%) and 90 were interviewed at a public clinic (cesarean delivery rate 22%). Data collected included demographics, preferred mode of delivery, and women's attitudes towards vaginal and caesarean deliveries.Main Outcome MeasuresMode of delivery preferences, perceptions of mode of delivery measured on a 1-7 Likert scale.ResultsThe majority of women (77.8%) preferred vaginal delivery, 9.4% preferred caesarean section, and 12.8% had no preference. There was no statistical difference in preference between the public clinic (11% preferred caesarean) and the private clinic (8% preferred caesarean, P= 0.74). Overall, women preferring caesarean birth were slightly older than other groups (31.6 years, versus 28.4 years for women who preferred vaginal and 27.3 years for women who had no preference, P= 0.05), but there were otherwise no differences in parity, income, or education. On a scale of 1-7, women preferring caesarean birth rated vaginal birth as more painful, while women preferring vaginal birth rated it as less painful (5.8 versus 3.7, P= 0.003). Whether vaginal or caesarean, each group felt that their preferred mode of delivery was safer for their baby (P < 0.001).ConclusionsChilean women do not prefer caesarean section to vaginal delivery, even in a practice setting where caesarean delivery is more prevalent. Thus, women's preferences is unlikely to be the most significant factor driving the high caesarean rates in Chile.

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