RESULTS
A total of 1398 women (2795 fetuses) were randomly assigned to planned cesarean
delivery and 1406 women (2812 fetuses) to planned vaginal delivery. The rate of cesarean
delivery was 90.7% in the planned-cesarean-delivery group and 43.8% in the
planned-vaginal-delivery group. Women in the planned-cesarean-delivery group delivered
earlier than did those in the planned-vaginal-delivery group (mean number of
days from randomization to delivery, 12.4 vs. 13.3; P = 0.04). There was no significant
difference in the composite primary outcome between the planned-cesarean-delivery
group and the planned-vaginal-delivery group (2.2% and 1.9%, respectively; odds ratio
with planned cesarean delivery, 1.16; 95% confidence interval, 0.77 to 1.74; P = 0.49).