Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42631056›Full record

ArticlePregnancy (Hoboken, N.J.)2026

Indications for cesarean delivery among patients with life-limiting fetal diagnoses.

Halle C Petrie, Alexandra C Sundermann, B Wade Hamilton, Allison M McCarthy, Emily A Morris, Luke A Gatta

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Pregnancy (Hoboken, N.J.), 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

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Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Halle C PetrieVanderbilt University School of Medicine Nashville Tennessee USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0386-8668
Alexandra C SundermannDivision of Quantitative and Clinical Sciences Vanderbilt Health Nashville Tennessee USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6790-5539
B Wade HamiltonVanderbilt University School of Medicine Nashville Tennessee USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9510-5611
Allison M McCarthyDivision of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences Vanderbilt Health Nashville Tennessee USA.
Emily A MorrisCenter for Biomedical Ethics and Society Vanderbilt Health Nashville Tennessee USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8284-6987
Luke A GattaCenter for Biomedical Ethics and Society Vanderbilt Health Nashville Tennessee USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1821-2258

Funding

Building Interdisciplinary Research Careers in Women's HealthK12AR084232 · NIAMS · VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER · PI AMY S MAJOR, Digna R Velez Edwards · 2023 to 2026
$1.3M
A Study of Preeclampsia RecurrenceK01HL184170 · NHLBI · VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER · PI Alexandra Clare Sundermann · 2026 to 2026
$154k
NHLBI NIH HHS K01 HL184170NIAMS NIH HHS K12 AR084232
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Introduction: Mode of delivery is uniquely complex when a neonate is not expected to survive after birth. Cesarean delivery (CD) generally confers increased maternal morbidity but may be pursued to mitigate intrapartum fetal risk. Prior studies have reported elevated CD rates among patients with a life-limiting fetal diagnosis (LLFD) but have not characterized the indications that drive this increase. We sought to characterize the proportion and indications for CD among patients with selected LLFDs. Methods: This retrospective cohort includes patients with an antenatal LLFD who delivered at a tertiary care center between January 1, 2018 and May 1, 2025 at or above 24 weeks' gestation. LLFD cases were chosen for inclusion after manual review by Maternal-Fetal Medicine and Neonatology subspecialists, and the cohort was further restricted to six LLFDs: anencephaly, trisomy 13, trisomy 18, anhydramnios due to genitourinary etiologies, limb-body wall complex, and severe skeletal dysplasia. The primary outcome was CD; the secondary outcome was indication for CD. Results: Of 32,523 eligible deliveries, 241 were identified as having an antenatal LLFD; after restriction to six prespecified diagnoses, the final LLFD cohort included 106 patients. CD occurred in 42.5% of LLFD pregnancies. Proportion of deliveries by CD varied by diagnosis: 0% in anencephaly, 36.4% in skeletal dysplasia, 40.0% in trisomy 13, 45.8% in trisomy 18, 40.0% in limb/body wall complex, and 54.5% in anhydramnios due to a genitourinary cause. A total of 53.3% of CDs were performed for a fetal indication, most commonly malpresentation and non-reassuring fetal status. Conclusion: Driven by fetal indications for delivery, patients with a known LLFD underwent CD in 42.5% of pregnancies, with substantial variation across diagnoses. It is unclear whether the increased proportion of CD is driven by traditional obstetric indications or patient-centered choices regarding the delivery experience.

Indexed as

abortioncesarean deliveryfatal fetal diagnosisLethallife‐limiting diagnosispediatric hospicepediatric palliative care

Identifiers

PMID42631056
PMCPMC13497914

What Socratic holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.