| Journal of Clinical Gynecology and Obstetrics, ISSN 1927-1271 print, 1927-128X online, Open Access |
| Article copyright, the authors; Journal compilation copyright, J Clin Gynecol Obstet and Elmer Press Inc |
| Journal website https://jcgo.elmerpub.com |
Original Article
Volume 14, Number 4, December 2025, pages 122-129
Racial and Ethnic Differences in Trial of Labor After Cesarean Attempts and Vaginal Birth After Cesarean Success Rates: A Retrospective Single-Health System Study
Tables
| Descriptives | Delivery type | P | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No TOLAC | VBAC | Unsuccessful TOLAC | ||
| TOLAC: trial of labor after cesarean section; VBAC: vaginal birth after cesarean section. | ||||
| Deliveries, N | 1,174 | 210 | 516 | - |
| Age, mean ± SD (years) | 29.84 ± 5.41 | 29.11 ± 5.38 | 29.69 ± 5.26 | 0.191 |
| Gravida, mean ± SD | 2.81 ± 1.27 | 3.14 ± 1.65 | 3.25 ± 1.66 | < 0.001 |
| Parity, mean ± SD | 1.30 ± 2.88 | 1.50 ±1.09 | 1.69 ± 1.26 | 0.008 |
| Height, mean ± SD (inches) | 68.87 ± 2.89 | 63.37 ±2 .82 | 63.40 ± 3.18 | 0.002 |
| Weight, mean ± SD (pounds) | 177.33 ± 49.57 | 173.76 ± 45.79 | 177.23 ± 51.56 | 0.656 |
| History of vaginal delivery, % | 14.4 | 24.29 | 37.98 | < 0.001 |
| History of arrest, % | 42.93 | 35.71 | 26.55 | < 0.001 |
| Hypertension, % | 7.07 | 5.71 | 2.71 | 0.002 |
| Race, % | ||||
| White | 72.83 | 51.9 | 63.57 | < 0.001 |
| Black | 9.63 | 20 | 15.5 | |
| Asian | 5.88 | 8.57 | 4.84 | |
| Other | 1.36 | 0.95 | 1.16 | |
| Multiracial | 1.11 | 0.48 | 0.58 | |
| Missing | 9.2 | 18.1 | 14.34 | |
| Ethnicity, % | ||||
| Not Hispanic/Latino | 74.7 | 72.38 | 63.95 | < 0.001 |
| Hispanic/Latino | 22.4 | 24.29 | 33.53 | |
| Missing | 2.9 | 3.33 | 2.52 | |
| Descriptives | Time period | P | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Time period 1 | Time period 2 | Time period 3 | ||
| TOLAC: trial of labor after cesarean section; VBAC: vaginal birth after cesarean section. | ||||
| Deliveries, N | 769 | 398 | 733 | - |
| Race, % | ||||
| White | 65.28 | 77.39 | 65.76 | 0.003 |
| Black | 13.65 | 8.79 | 12.96 | |
| Asian | 5.33 | 4.77 | 7.09 | |
| Other | 1.17 | 0.5 | 1.77 | |
| Multiracial | 0.91 | 1.01 | 0.82 | |
| Missing | 13.65 | 7.54 | 11.6 | |
| Ethnicity, % | ||||
| Not Hispanic/Latino | 74.51 | 71.61 | 68.35 | 0.025 |
| Hispanic/Latino | 22.11 | 26.63 | 28.79 | |
| Missing | 3.38 | 1.76 | 2.86 | |
| Attempted TOLAC | Successful VBACa | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rate, % | OR (95% CI), P | Rate, % | OR (95% CI), P | |
| aOnly patients that attempted TOLAC were included in the successful VBAC analysis. CI: confidence interval; OR: odds ratio; TOLAC: trial of labor after cesarean section; VBAC: vaginal birth after cesarean section. | ||||
| Time period | ||||
| 1: January 2017 - January 2020 | 33.29 | Reference | 48.98 | Reference |
| 2: February 2020 - May 2021 | 35.43 | 1.1 (0.85 - 1.42), P = 0.465 | 62.51 | 1.28 (0.81 - 2.01), P = 0.292 |
| 3: June 2021 - June 2024 | 44.88 | 1.63 (1.32 - 2.01), P < 0.001 | 73.43 | 1.25 (0.88 - 1.79), P = 0.219 |
| Race | ||||
| White | 33.82 | Reference | 75.06 | Reference |
| Black | 51.91 | 2.11 (1.60 - 2.80), P < 0.001 | 65.57 | 0.63 (0.41 - 0.97), P = 0.038 |
| Asian | 38.39 | 1.22 (0.82 - 1.82), P = 0.329 | 58.13 | 0.46 (0.24 - 0.88), P = 0.019 |
| Ethnicity | ||||
| Not Hispanic/Latino | 35.47 | Reference | 68.46 | Reference |
| Hispanic/Latino | 46.00 | 1.55 (1.26 - 1.91), P < 0.001 | 77.23 | 1.56 (1.08 - 2.25), P = 0.017 |
| Attempted TOLAC | Successful VBACa | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rate, % | OR (95% CI), P | Rate, % | OR (95% CI), P | |
| aOnly patients that attempted TOLAC were included in the successful VBAC analysis. CI: confidence interval; OR: odds ratio; TOLAC: trial of labor after cesarean section; VBAC: vaginal birth after cesarean section. | ||||
| Time period 1: January 2017 - January 2020 | ||||
| Race | ||||
| White | 27.89 | Reference | 74.29 | Reference |
| Black | 46.67 | 2.26 (1.47 - 3.48), P = 0.001 | 61.22 | 0.55 (0.27 - 1.09), P = 0.085 |
| Asian | 26.83 | 0.95 (0.46 - 1.94), P = 0.884 | 54.55 | 0.42 (0.12 - 1.44), P = 0.167 |
| Ethnicity | ||||
| Not Hispanic/Latino | 30.89 | Reference | 66.67 | Reference |
| Hispanic/Latino | 43.53 | 1.72 (1.21 - 2.45), P = 0.002 | 72.97 | 1.35 (0.74 - 2.46), P = 0.328 |
| Time period 2: February 2020 - May 2021 | ||||
| Race | ||||
| White | 33.77 | Reference | 76.92 | Reference |
| Black | 48.57 | 1.85 (0.92 - 3.744), P = 0.086 | 76.47 | 0.98 (0.29 - 3.27), P = 0.967 |
| Asian | 36.84 | 1.14 (0.437 - 2.99), P = 0.784 | 42.86 | 0.23 (0.05 - 1.08), P = 0.062 |
| Ethnicity | ||||
| Not Hispanic/Latino | 35.79 | Reference | 70.59 | Reference |
| Hispanic/Latino | 34.91 | 0.96 (0.6 - 1.53), P = 0.871 | 78.38 | 1.51 (0.62 - 3.68), P = 0.364 |
| Time period 3: June 2021 - June 2024 | ||||
| Race | ||||
| White | 40.04 | Reference | 74.61 | Reference |
| Black | 58.95 | 2.15 (1.37 - 3.36), P = 0.001 | 66.07 | 0.66 (0.35 - 1.26), P = 0.208 |
| Asian | 48.08 | 1.39 (0.78 - 2.46), P = 0.264 | 64.00 | 0.60 (0.25 - 1.46), P = 0.262 |
| Ethnicity | ||||
| Not Hispanic/Latino | 40.52 | Reference | 68.97 | Reference |
| Hispanic/Latino | 53.55 | 1.69 (1.22 - 2.34), P = 0.002 | 79.65 | 1.76 (1.02 - 3.04), P = 0.042 |
| Descriptives | Reason for delivery type | P | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Declined TOLAC | Preference for TOLAC | Failed induction | Fetal status | Maternal status | Successful TOLAC | No reason given | ||
| TOLAC: trial of labor after cesarean section. | ||||||||
| Deliveries, N | 1,165 | 5 | 124 | 66 | 11 | 511 | 18 | - |
| Race, % | ||||||||
| White | 72.70 | 40.00 | 54.84 | 48.48 | 36.36 | 63.80 | 72.22 | < 0.001 |
| Black | 9.61 | 60.00 | 13.71 | 28.79 | 45.45 | 15.07 | 11.11 | |
| Asian | 5.92 | 0.00 | 11.29 | 6.06 | 0.00 | 4.89 | 0.00 | |
| Other | 1.37 | 0.00 | 1.61 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 1.17 | 0.00 | |
| Multiracial | 1.12 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 1.52 | 0.00 | 0.59 | 0.00 | |
| Missing | 9.27 | 0.00 | 18.55 | 15.15 | 18.18 | 14.48 | 16.67 | |
| Ethnicity, % | ||||||||
| Non-Hispanic/Latino | 74.76 | 100.00 | 71.77 | 74.24 | 72.73 | 63.60 | 66.67 | 0.001 |
| Hispanic/Latino | 22.49 | 0.00 | 25.00 | 22.73 | 18.18 | 33.86 | 22.22 | |
| Missing | 2.75 | 0.00 | 3.23 | 3.03 | 9.09 | 2.54 | 11.11 | |