Effectiveness of the Adequate Childbirth Program in reducing cesarean section rates in private maternity hospitals in São Paulo, Brazil

Abstract

Cesarean section is a life-saving intervention, but its use without obstetric indication leads to short- and long-term complications. Brazil is internationally known for its high cesarean rates, especially in the private sector. To reverse this problem, the Brazilian National Regulatory for Private Health Insurance and Plans launched the Adequate Childbirth Program, and this retrospective study aims to analyze its effectiveness. We included the total of births performed in private maternity hospitals between 2014 and 2019 registered on the Brazilian Information System on Live Births (SINASC) database to compare the evolution of cesarean section rates in hospitals participating and not participating in the project. A total of 277,747 births were analyzed, showing a reduction in the cesarean section rate in both groups but more pronounced among the participant institutions. No reduction in cesarean performance was observed before the program launch (2014), but there was a constant downward trend after 2014, until it became significant in 2018. This result occurred independently of demographic, maternal, and Robson group variables. The cesarean section rate of hospitals participating in the program went from 83.8% to 72.3% (95% confidence interval – 95%CI: 71.7-72.9). Despite the reduction, it remains well above the expected rates according to the c-model tool, which would be 45.2% (95%CI: 33.9-56.5) for this population. Results showed that a well-conducted public policy together with private institutions can change the scenario of labor and birth care, reducing high cesarean section rates.