Continuous support during childbirth to reduce cesarean sections: evidence brief for policy

Cesarean section rates have increased globally in the last 30 years, representing more than 56% of total births in Brazil. Considering the impacts of elective cesarean sections in mater-nal and child health, this review aimed to present an option to reduce these rates. We used the SUPPORT tools to summarize the best evidence. We included systematic reviews published in En-glish, Portuguese, or Spanish, which focused on non-clinical interventions. Continuous support during labor and birth was described in four sys-tematic reviews as an option to reduce cesarean rates (down to-51%). It also decreased unneces-sary clinical interventions during labor, the du -ration of labor, and the likelihood of delivering a baby with a low Apgar score at five minutes. Moreover, continuous support improved breast-feeding, postpartum recovery of women during the puerperium period, and increased women's satisfaction with the birth experience and the possibility of spontaneous vaginal deliveries. The continuous support was beneficial for women and newborns. The intervention fosters respect, safety, and quality during birth, besides reducing hospi-tal costs. Therefore, it is an effective strategy that should be adopted in hospitals and other health services to improve women's access to their rights.