Sequelae of cesarean and vaginal deliveries: Psychosocial outcomes for mothers and infants

Mother-infant dyads grouped according to whether the infants had been deliv ered vaginally (n = 74) or by planned (n = 37) or unplanned cesarean (n = 5 6) were compared on psychosocial outcomes at 4 and 12 months postpartum. Hy potheses were that unplanned cesarean delivery would be related to less opt imal outcomes and that this relationship would be mediated by mother's appr aisal of the delivery and would attenuate over time. No delivery-related di fferences in mother-infant interactions were found at 4 or 12 months postpa rtum with one exception: Women low in neuroticism who delivered by unplanne d cesarean showed less positive affect toward their infants at 4 months tha n did women high in neuroticism who delivered by unplanned cesarean or wome n in any other group. There was some evidence of the mediating role of mate rnal appraisal of the delivery on these effects. In general, the results in dicate little cause for concern about the quality of mother-infant interact ions following cesarean deliveries.