Trends in forceps deliveries in a tertiary health care facility in Serbia

Abstract

Introduction/Objective. Increased incidence of cesarean sections leads to the reduction of incidence of instrumental vaginal deliveries. The aim of this study was to analyze the trends of forceps deliveries at the tertiary healthcare facility. Methods. The study was performed at the Clinic of Gynecology and Obstetrics, covering a 30-year period, from 1987 to 2016 with a total of 198,882 births. Results. Forceps delivery rate was significantly lowering during time, while the cesarean section rates were rising. Conclusion. Using linear, cubic and quadratic prediction models, we can estimate that in the year 2020 there will be no more forceps deliveries. However, minding the confidence interval of 95% some forceps deliveries might still be carried out. Since it has been shown that the forceps is a very useful obstetric tool, this very important skill might soon be neglected due to the lack of training.