Caesarean seCtions profile of a university hospital

Introduction: Cesarean delivery rates in Brazil are beyond that advised by the World Health Organization (WHO), the same occurring in a university hospital of Porto Alegre, southern Brazil. The rate is considered a powerful indicator in evaluation the perinatal quality of care. Our goal was to analyze the pattern of vaginal birth and cesarean delivery rates at a university hospital in the period of 2004-2012 in terms of the average length of stay, mother age, birth-related infection rate, payer type, and gestational age.