Objective:

Evaluate the effectiveness and usefulness of the Robson classification to reduce the practice of cesarean sections.

Materials and methods:

Observational, descriptive, retrospective and cross section was made in patients of medium and low socioeconomic status attended between January and December 2016 in a second level hospital. For classify the patients, according to their obstetric characteristics, the model of Robson was applied.

Results:

374 pregnant patients were studied; in 91 (24.3%) the pregnancy ended by caesarean section. The Robson groups with the greatest percentage contribution of caesarean sections were: group 1 with 50.5%, group 2 with 29.8% and group 10 with 8.7%. Group 5 reported that 62.7% of pregnancies ended by delivery; 89.8% of the patients was admitted with spontaneous labor. The main Cesarean indications were, in group 1, stationary labor; at group 2, iterative caesarean section and group 10, preterm fetus.

Conclusions:

The application of the Robson classification model is useful and practice to identify groups of patients in who it is possible to decrease the percentage of cesareans.