Term: Vaginal Birth after Caesarean Section (VBAC)

Printer friendly

Glossary Definition

Last Updated: 2020-05-25

Definition:

Women with a prior caesarean birth who subsequently delivered vaginally.

In Heaman et al. (2012), a woman was considered to have had a previous caesarean delivery by the presence of one or more of the following codes:

• ICD-9-CM: 654.20, 654.21, or 654.23;
  
• ICD-10-CA: O34.201, O34.203, O34.209, O34.291, O34.293, O34.299, O75.701, O75.703, O75.709.

The current delivery was considered a vaginal birth by the absence of a code indicating a caesarean birth (see caesarean birth for more details). All homebirths identified from the Midwifery Discharge Summary Reports were coded as vaginal births.

In Fransoo et al. (2019), VBACs were defined as:

• a hospitalization with a diagnosis of vaginal birth (ICD–10–CA code Z37) in the absence of a C-section (CCI code 5.MD.60) and with a previous hospitalization for a C-section (ICD–10–CA O34.20 or ICD–9–CM procedure codes 74.0, 74.1, 74.2, 74.4, 74.9 or CCI code 5.MD.60)
  
• a hospitalization for vaginal birth after C-section (ICD–10–CA code O75.7)

For more information, please see:

• section 4.7 Vaginal Birth After Cesarean (VBAC) in the deliverable Perinatal Services and Outcomes in Manitoba by Heaman et al. (2012)
  
• section 10.7 Vaginal Birth after Caesarean Section (VBAC) in the devliverable The 2019 RHA Indicators Atlas by Fransoo et al. (2019)

Related concepts 

• Caesarean Section / Cesarean Section (C-Section)
• Maternal and Newborn Health Status Indicators

Related terms 

• Caesarean Birth
• Vaginal Birth
• Vaginal Birth After Caesarean Section (VBAC) Rate

References 

• Fransoo R, Mahar A, The Need to Know Team, Anderson A, Prior H, Koseva I, McCulloch S, Jarmasz J, Burchill S. The 2019 RHA Indicators Atlas. Winnipeg, MB: Manitoba Centre for Health Policy, 2019. [Report] [Summary] [Updates and Errata] [Additional Materials] (View)
• Heaman M, Kingston D, Helewa M, Brownell M, Derksen S, Bogdanovic B, McGowan K, Bailly A. Perinatal Services and Outcomes in Manitoba. Winnipeg, MB: Manitoba Centre for Health Policy, 2012. [Report] [Summary] [Updates and Errata] (View)