LAUSR

Key Points Question What are trends in and indications for cesarean delivery among patients at low risk for this procedure in the US? Findings This cross-sectional study including more than 40 million deliveries found that cesarean deliveries among patients at low risk for the procedure increased from 9.7% to 13.9% between 2000 and 2009, plateaued, and then decreased from 13.0% to 11.1% between 2012 and 2019. Cesarean delivery for nonreassuring fetal status increased over the study period, whereas cesarean delivery for labor disorders decreased over the latter half of the study period. Meaning These findings suggest that there are countervailing trends in cesarean delivery, with diagnoses for labor disorders decreasing and diagnoses for nonreassuring fetal status increasing.