- c-section rate is 31.1% (National Vital Statistics Report, 2006)
- the World Health Organization estimates the c-section rate should be 10-15%
- the US spends more on healthcare than any other country in the world, yet we rank in 28th place for infant mortality rate and 41th place for maternal mortality (mothers who die due to a pregnancy related complication)
- maternal mortality is on the rise in the US (factors considered to play a role in this are less healthy women, poor access to healthcare, high cost of healthcare, unnecessarily high rates of interventions in pregnancy and labor)
- 1987 - 6.6 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births
- 2006 - 13.3 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births
- many of the interventions done in hospitals today have not proven to have any benefit for routine use in healthy mother and babies
- yes, c-sections are very important and potentially life-saving, but should not be done without a medical need as they do come with their own risks (infection, increased risk of blood clots, incision pain which make may adjustment to life with a newborn more challenging, and increased risk of complications in future pregnancies)
Sources: AABC, 2007; Amnesty International, 2010; Varney, Kriebs, & Gegor, 2004
