Record High Cesarean Rate Contradicts Best Practices for Birth

Despite the evidence of risks associated with cesarean section, the rate of birth by cesarean section in 2004 registered at 29.1 percent, the highest ever recorded. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), this figure is an 8 percent increase from 2003, and a 41 percent increase since 1996.

The rise in cesarean section is caused by many factors, including care providers’ fear of lawsuits, casual attitudes toward surgery, and the growing belief that vaginal birth is harmful and carries increased negative side-effects when compared with cesarean section. Another reason cited for cesarean section is what is known as “forced” cesarean section. Many women who have had a prior cesarean section or whose baby is in a breech position are coerced into choosing a cesarean section by their maternity care provider.

“The problem is that women and families can’t make good decisions about cesarean sections because they are not given enough information,” says Raymond De Vries, Ph.D., president of Lamaze International. “Women who have a surgical birth are often surprised by the pain and the extent of the complications during recovery. It is the responsibility of maternity care providers to give women all of the facts about cesarean section, including an honest accounting of the risks.”

Cesarean section is a major abdominal surgery, and as such, carries an increased risk to mother and baby. In addition to the short-term risks associated with any major surgery, such as blood loss, clotting, infection and severe pain, cesarean section also poses future risks, such as infertility and complications with future pregnancies. Cesarean section also increases harm to babies, including breathing problems, low birth weight, surgical injury and difficulties with breastfeeding.

“Women need to know their choices in birth, and if maternity care providers aren’t providing accurate information, women must arm themselves with evidence-based knowledge,” cautions Judith Lothian, RN, PhD, LCCE, FACCE, author of The Official Lamaze Guide: Giving Birth with Confidence. “Birth is a normal and natural event, and the majority of births happen without complications.”

Lamaze International believes that when medically necessary, a cesarean section can be a lifesaving procedure for both mother and baby, and worth the risks involved. You can find more detailed information on cesarean section and birth in The Official Lamaze Guide: Giving Birth with Confidence, the first and only guide endorsed by Lamaze International.

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Lamaze International, based in Washington, DC, envisions a world of confident women choosing normal birth. For more information about Lamaze and the Institute for Normal Birth, visit www.lamaze.org.

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