“C-section delivery rate: Up by 2% in 2007 to nearly 32% of all births. That’s another record high for C-section deliveries, and 2007 was the 11th straight year that the C-section rate rose.”¹

A third of all deliveries done in the United States are done by C-section. With an infant mortality rate of 6.3 deaths per 1000 live births, trailing behind places like the Czech Republic (3.83 deaths per 1000)¹ and Singapore (2.30 deaths per 1000)², what benefit are mothers and newborns in the United States receiving from these procedures? Longer hospital stays (3 days for cesarean vs 2 days for vaginal birth)³ and longer recovery periods (4 to 6 weeks for cesarean vs 1 to 2 weeks for vaginal birth)³ are the most readily measurable outcomes. Also, mothers are 10 times more likely to die from complications of delivery if they undergo C-section instead of vaginal birth.⁴

Balancing the risks and benefits of C-sections, the World Health Organization recommends a rate of 15 C-sections per 100 births (15%).⁵ What is causing this increased trend toward the use of C-sections? Are doctors not properly educating their patients about the risks? Could the increased rate of C-section a symptom of a new addiction to painless procedures and “on-demand” conveniences? Either way, C-sections remain a valuable tool, and doctors and patients alike need to consider both the benefits and the risks before committing to the procedure.

1. WebMD - U.S. Births Hit Record High
2. CIA World Factbook
3. WebMD - Cesarean Section Risks and Complications
4. Medscape - Complications of Cesarean Deliveries
5. World Health Organization. Appropriate technology for birth. Lancet 1985; 2: 436-7.