VBAC : Is it Safe?

Acupuncture May Help Prevent Cesarean Births

Taken from Exam Health...
http://www.emaxhealth.com/1275/84/34080/acupuncture-may-help-prevent-cesarean-births.html

Submitted by Deborah Mitchell on Oct 11th, 2009

Women who receive acupuncture during pregnancy are less likely to have a cesarean birth, according to several studies. A review of the research on the use of acupuncture during pregnancy and its impact on the rate of cesarean births, the need for epidurals, the number of inductions, and other factors are being presented at a workshop in Vancouver, Canada, on October 13 and 14.

In 1965, the rate of cesarean births in the United States was 4.5 percent. Yet in December 2007, the National Center for Health Statistics reported that the cesarean delivery rate in the United States for 2006 was 31.1 percent. This rate exceeds the rate in Canada, which reports that nearly 28 percent of the infants born in that country in 2007 and 2008 were by cesarean.

According to the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada (SOGC), 20 percent fewer cesarean births would occur if doctors and hospitals followed guidelines designed to reduce unnecessary surgeries and if women had support during labor. Several studies show that acupuncture performed during pregnancy may help with this effort.

For example, in a randomized, controlled trial of acupuncture in first-time mothers, researchers evaluated 56 women who were randomly assigned to either a control group (no acupuncture) or three outpatient acupuncture treatments during pregnancy. Compared with the control group, women in the acupuncture group were more likely to labor spontaneously (70% vs 50%) and less likely to have a cesarean birth (39% vs 17%).

Cesarean births are associated with considerable morbidity in both women and their infants, as well as significant costs to the health care system. The most common complications after cesarean birth for women are infection, heavy blood loss, blood clots, nausea, vomiting, and severe headache. Maternal death, though rare, is three times more likely after cesarean births (18 per 100,000) than vaginal deliveries (6 per 100,000). Recovery time after cesarean delivery is 4 to 6 weeks compared with 1 to 2 weeks for vaginal delivery.)

Risks for infants after cesarean birth include injury during delivery, immature lung function (if the infant is delivered before 39 weeks of gestation, and need for special care in the neonatal intensive care unit. There is also some evidence that children born by cesarean section and whose parents have allergies are about twice as likely to develop allergies.

According to Debra Betts, an international expert on acupuncture and author of Essential Acupuncture for Pregnancy and Childbirth, acupuncture delivered during pregnancy can reduce nausea, high blood pressure, and back pain, and can naturally induce labor, thus reducing cesarean births. Betts is presenting the workshop on acupuncture and cesarean births and related information in Vancouver.

SOURCES:
Cunningham FG et al. “Cesarean delivery and peripartum hysterectomy. In Williams, Obstetrics 22nd ed. 2005
Harper TC et al. Journal of Maternal Fetal Neonatal Medicine 2006 Aug; 19(8): 465-70
Kolas T et al. American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology 2006; 195(6): 1538-43.
News-Medical.net October 9, 2009
Taffel SM et al. American Journal of Public Health 1987; 77:955-59

Where does your state rate?

The CDC released the 2007 birth statistics on March 18th to the public finally.
These are the most recently released birth statistics in the US.

These are the percentage of cesarean births.
See where your state rates!Alabama - 33.8%
Alaska - 22.6%
Arizona - 26.2%
Arkansas - 34.8%
California - 32.1%
Colorado - 25.8%
Connecticut - 34.6%
Delaware - 32.1%
District of Columbia - 32.6%
Florida - 37.2%
Georgia - 32.0%
Hawaii - 26.4%
Idaho - 24.0%
Illinois - 30.3%
Indiana - 29.4%
Iowa - 29.4%
Kansas - 29.8%
Kentucky - 34.6%
Louisiana - 35.9%
Maine - 30.0%
Maryland - 33.1%
Massachusetts - 33.5%
Michigan - 30.4%
Minnesota - 26.2%
Mississippi - 36.2%
Missouri - 30.3%
Montana - 29.4%
Nebraska - 30.9%
Nevada - 33.1%
New Hampshire - 30.8%
New Jersey - 38.3%
New Mexico - 23.3%
New York - 33.7%
North Carolina - 30.7%
North Dakota - 28.4%
Ohio - 29.8%
Oklahoma - 33.6%
Oregon - 28.2%
Pennsylvania - 30.1%
Rhode Island - 32.2%
South Carolina - 33.4%
South Dakota - 26.6%
Tennessee - 33.3%
Texas - 33.7%
Utah - 22.2%
Vermont - 26.8%
Virginia - 33.5%
Washington - 29.0%
West Virginia - 35.2%
Wisconsin - 25.0%
Wyoming - 26.9%

http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr57/nvsr57_12.pdf
All taken from the above CDC website.

The WHO says no industrialized nation, like The US should have a cesarean rate of over 10-15%.

If you want to help in lowering these rates, visit www.ican-online.org

There is no debate

I continually am hearing the term "homebirth debate" but the term makes no sense what so ever. There is no such thing as a debate over home birth. It is a choice, you either choose it because it is right for you, or you do not choose it because it is not the right choice for you. Simple as that really.
There may be a debate over the safety of childbirth choices, but that is a whole different ballgame in itself.

It almost reminds me of the whole abortion debate. Its nonsense. Either the choice of abortion is right for you or it is not. Other people cannot make that decision for you, including lawmakers. The same should go for birth choices. The restrictions that are being placed on pregnant women are reminiscent of suffrage. If we take a step backwards and start to restrict the places, and ways that women are allowed to birth their babies, then what is next? Women can only see OB/GYN's for pre natal care and delivery? Freestanding birth centers will up and close? All male infants will be automatically circumcised? Women will not longer be able to make informed choices about their care?
Well I mean, we all know that "informed consent" in our country which is supposed to be LAW is nothing more than a joke, and anyone who has had a baby in a hospital recently can attest to this. Even the best of Doctors and Nurses are not always giving full information on the procedures or interventions.

Long story short, the system is a mess, that there is no debate over. The modern day maternity care system, which should be called the Obstetric care system is failing and that is proven in the numbers of maternal and infant deaths and injuries during births, as well as with the rising cesarean rate. There needs to be a huge change.

Violating Woman's Rights

Recently many internet bloggers have been going back and forth about the “Home Birth Debate”. I saw Jennifer Block post a great piece about home birth, which was immediately challenged by Dr. Amy Tuteur via her internet blog. Whether or not Jennifer Block agreed to a “debate” over the subject is completely irrelevant in what I have to say.

Whether or not home birth is safe, as safe as hospital births, or more dangerous than hospital births doesn't matter when it comes down to it. What does matter is that a woman should be able to legally choose where she wants to give birth, and with whom to managing her care, and deliver her baby.

What we should be debating about, or even merely discussing is what we can do as women, mothers, providers, and advocates to reduce the maternal and infant mortality rates in The United States, as well as make all birthing options available. The way that births are being over managed, and birthing options being restricted, such as Vaginal Birth after Cesarean better known as VBAC. Across the country women are being essentially forced to have repeat cesarean sections, with no medical reason, because the local hospital, or local OB/GYN's do not attend VBAC's or provide any kind of VBAC options. Leaving women with very few options regarding subsequent pregnancies if they do not wish to undergo surgical birth a second time.

Some of these options include home births with Midwives, but some women cannot even have that options because home birth midwives, and home birth in general in their state, or area has been now become punishable by law. But I digress, VBAC access is a whole other tragic story in itself.

The real issue at hand is why we sit and argue over difference in opinion when it comes to other peoples birth choices, while American women are being denied the right to make their own medical decisions.

This is not a Natural Birth Advocate vs. The Medical Community. This is a simple womans rights issue. Women have fought for the past 100 years for all the amazing freedoms that we have today, and for doors to be closing left and right for choices women would like to make regarding their own medical care is downright frightening.

Why are so many options being taken off the table for pregnant women? Mainly for fear of litigation on the part of Obstetricians which have this little group standing behind them called The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Their name is very misleading. They are not a college, nor are they an institution of higher learning. They are basically a really big “union” for OB/GYN's. They issue statements, publications, and “guidelines” better known as their opinions. Many are unfounded medically or scientifically (which has been proven over and over again). They say that certain medical events, such as birth, which we all know isn't rocket science, should be handled in one specific way. But women know that every pregnancy, woman, and birth are different. You cannot compare the experiences of two women, or even two pregnancies in the same woman, but they continue to treat all pregnant and birthing women the same. They are being put on a conveyor belt of hospital interventions, which you have to fight tooth and nail to avoid. I don't know about you, but when I was in labor with either of my children, the last thing I wanted to be doing was battling with Nurses or even the OB/GYN I picked for my first birth. I was the portrait of a good patient my first time around. That landed me with a non medical induction and cesarean section for the oh so typical “failure to progress”.

Now I am a nobody. I do not have M.D. after my name, I do not have C.N.M. After my name. In fact, I do not have anything after my name. I am nothing more than a mother, of two children, both born by cesarean section. My first cesarean completely avoidable. My second, not so much, after 26 hours of labor attempting a VBAC. Now I find myself at a petrifying crossroad. I am literally scared to even think about having another child because I know in my area, there will be no OB/GYN or Midwife that will take me on for a vaginal birth after two cesarean sections, even though many women have successfully accomplished birthing a baby after one, two, or five cesarean sections. They simply do not want the liability, or work, and I simply do not want the repeat cesarean section.

Why are more people not speaking out about this huge womans rights violation?

Because it does not effect or impact them on a personal level?

Because they do not know about it?

Someone, anyone, everyone, needs to step up to the plate and help women have the right to have any birth she chooses. It is a human rights violation to dismiss her wishes.

Chocolate or Vanilla?

I saw the debate between cesarean section, or vaginal birth put into a pretty cut and dry term today. Chocolate or Vanilla?
And it made me think...
In society today, many people do view birth this way. Many do not sit down and really look at the risks that come with the choice they make for an elective cesarean section.
Now when we use the term elective, we mean, non medically necessary. No medical reason for this choice. This includes elective repeat cesareans for NO medical reason, and having a previous cesarean section does not constitute as a medical reason for a cesarean section.

A couple medical reasons for having a cesarean section are....

• There are problems with the placenta. This is the organ that nourishes your baby in the womb. Placenta problems can cause dangerous bleeding during vaginal birth.
• Pregnancy with multiple babies.
• Placenta Accreta
  
• The baby's umbilical cord slips into the vagina, where it could be squeezed or flattened during vaginal delivery. This is called umbilical cord prolapse.
• Fetal Distress
• Birth defects.

Now, granted, there are medically necessary cesarean sections that take place, but many women do not know or understand the serious risk of an elective cesarean without a medical reason.

Some of the risks of a cesarean section include....

• Infection. The uterus or nearby pelvic organs such as the bladder or kidneys can become infected.
• Increased blood loss. Blood loss on the average is about twice as much with cesarean birth as with vaginal birth. However, blood transfusions are rarely needed during a cesarean.
• Decreased bowel function. The bowel sometimes slows down for several days after surgery, resulting in distention, bloating and discomfort.
• Respiratory complications. General anesthesia can sometimes lead to pneumonia.
• Longer hospital stay and recovery time. Three to five days in the hospital is the common length of stay, whereas it is less than one to three days for a vaginal birth.
• Reactions to anesthesia. The mother's health could be endangered by unexpected responses (such as blood pressure that drops quickly) to anesthesia or other medications during the surgery.
• Risk of additional surgeries. For example, hysterectomy, bladder repair, etc.
• Premature birth. If the due date was not accurately calculated, the baby could be delivered too early.
• Breathing problems. Babies born by cesarean are more likely to develop breathing problems such as transient tachypnea (abnormally fast breathing during the first few days after birth).
• Low Apgar scores. Babies born by cesarean sometimes have low Apgar scores. The low score can be an effect of the anesthesia and cesarean birth, or the baby may have been in distress to begin with. Or perhaps the baby was not stimulated as he or she would have been by vaginal birth.
• Fetal injury. Although rare, the surgeon can accidentally nick the baby while making the uterine incision.

As a mother who has had a cesarean section before, there is nothing fun about it. I cannot wrap my head around why any woman would make the informed choice to have major abdominal surgery instead of actually doing what their body was built to do. Birth babies.

The fact that our society thinks so lightly of this surgery, that it can compare the choice to choosing a flavor of ice cream screams the real problem with not only the maternity care system in this country, but the irresponsibility and ignorance of the patients, as well as the scary irresponsibility on the part of Obstetricians for allowing this serious procedure to be elective.

Place the blame on TV also.
Everytime you turn on a soap opera or nighttime medical drama, they are always making birthing women look like they are on the verge of death, and like they are going to blow up right there on the spot. What kind of message does that send to the uneducated next generation of mothers? BIRTH IS SCARY!
Turn on Special Delivery, or Maternity Ward, or that crappy show Deliver Me... and you see pregnancy and birth being treated as extremely dangerous and high risk events.
Why? Because those are the cases that get the ratings.

Chose what you will for birth.
But anyone has to question a mother for her choice to choose a risky and dangerous medical procedure to deliver her child instead of letting nature take its course.

How Fetal Personhood laws will effect ALL pregnant women.

No matter what your stance on abortion is, fetal personhood laws are and will hurt all pregnant women if they are passed nationally.
Women being handcuffed while in labor and forced to give birth by a cesarean against her will.

CDC addresses Cesarean Risk

CDC Says Cesarean Triples Neonatal Death Risk


http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1980192/cdc_says_cesarean_triples_neonatal.html?cat=25


While the increased risks of cesarean section to neonatal and maternal health have long been known, an even more grim issue came to light in a study released in the September, 2006 issue of Birth Journal. The CDC conducted research on cesarean section and neonatal mortality, expecting to find that the neonatal mortality rate (defined as death within the first 28 days of life) following cesarean section correlated directly with medical complications of the mother and baby. What they found, instead, was that regardless of risk factors, babies born by cesarean section face a risk of death nearly three times that of vaginally born babies.MacDorman, et al. analyzed national birth and death data for 5,762,037 live infants and 11,897 neonatal deaths, for the years 1998-2001. The purpose of the study was to examine the neonatal outcomes of primary cesarean delivery in women who had no other known complications or medical risk factors. The logical result of this examination would seem to be comparable neonatal mortality rates among cesarean and vaginally born infants. In fact, what the results show is that cesarean independently raises the risk of neonatal death by almost three-fold - .62 per 1000 deaths among vaginal births versus 1.77 per 1000 infant deaths among cesarean babies.

Even more astounding than the simple fact that cesarean section raises the risk of infant death - regardless of the reason the cesarean was performed - is that even when the researchers adjusted for sociodemographic, medical and congenital factors, and removed infants with APGARs under 4, the risk of death was only reduced "moderately". A stark difference in the death rates between cesarean born infants and vaginally born infants remained even with no medical explanation.

We aren't talking about babies dying from the few, rare complications that can arise in childbirth. We're talking about healthy, low-risk mothers electing for a primary cesarean section with no medical indication resulting in a nearly three times higher rate of death than those who have a vaginal birth.

According to Marian MacDorman, the CDC's study leader, "These findings should be of concern for clinicians and policymakers who are observing the rapid growth in the number of primary Caesareans to mothers without a medical indication."

While the findings of this research on cesarean and neonatal mortality were reported by major media outlets upon its release, publicity for the issue quickly waned. It is evident that care providers and mothers have continued to discount the disturbing results of the CDC study on neonatal mortality and cesarean, as the rate of surgical delivery has continued to climb to a record-breaking high of 31.8% in 2007, up from 31.1% in 2006.

The World Health Organization recommends no more than a 10% cesarean rate in developed countries, based upon research indicating more harm than good to both mothers and babies when the cesarean rate tops 15%. Until mothers and obstetricians start taking the risks of elective cesarean section seriously, we will likely continue to see tragic consequences of the interference of surgery in childbirth.

References:

MacDorman MF, Declercq E, Menacker F, Malloy MH.

Division of Vital Statistics, NationalCenter for Health Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,

Hyattsville, Maryland20782, USA. Birth. 2006 Sep;33(3):175-82.

When Doctors go too far...

This is not a blog personally written by myself. So I will hand the credit off to the chapter of The International Cesarean Awareness Network of Somerset New Jersey.
I read this yesterday, and had to pass the word along on this horrible case. My heart breaks for the mother who still, months later does not have custody of her baby because she refused a cesarean. I would be paranoid and mentally distraught if someone took my baby too!

http://romancathanachronism.typepad.com/ican_somerset/

UPDATE on the case where NJ DYFS removed child from a mom who refused a cesarean

I spoke with "V" the other day and the appellate court reached a decision against her. They decided to confirm that abuse and neglect had been committed against the child over V's refusal of a cesarean during labor. The following document was released by the NJ courts and should dispel any rumors about the actuality of this case.

http://www.judiciary.state.nj.us/opinions/a4627-06.pdf


The story is a bit mixed in the report above. They wanted her to sign a blanket consent form upon arrival at the hospital for a cesarean. She refused and they got mad stressing the importance of their ability to do a cesarean quickly if necessary. Later, the baby was "showing signs of distress." So what did they do? They tried even harder to push the potential need for a cesarean.

The fact is that cesareans are seldom so emergent that there is no time for consent. St Barnabas has a nearly 50% cesarean rate. Why couldn't they do something else to relieve the alleged "stress" on the baby before yelling at this women about a cesarean? Why not try repositioning her? They were upset about how V acted in labor. That's why it's called labor! It doesn't tickle! The report claims the nurses were trying to restrain her. V claims they bruised her because they were so rough. Baby was born at 35 weeks and was in good health for being slightly premature and doesn't seem to have suffered distress during labor (of course "distress" in labor is NOT easily defined, especially when diagnosed by looking at fetal monitors).

As far as the custodial issue goes, DYFS psychiatrists don't believe that V is capable of caring for a child. They stressed to her that it is a 24 hour job. They don't think she could feed or diaper a baby. They are concerned because she has had psychiatric problems in the past.

I'm not trying to preach a belief that V would be mother of the year. But the custodial issue only came up because she delivered at St Barnabas and they wanted the freedom to do a c-section at will. DYFS always seems to be willing to work with illegal drug addicted mothers and return their children after a working with them. I personally know of a case where the mom went back on drugs and moved. DYFS and CPS of the particular state haven't acted very quickly trying to remove that child from the situation.

A judge told V in one of her hearings that he felt she would be too argumentative and that would wind up hurting her child. For instance, she would argue with teachers and receptionists at the dentist office. Well, I'm sure all NJ teachers and receptionists are breathing a sigh of relief since parents so seldom aruge with them.

They call V paranoid and claim there is something wrong with her. I think I'd be paranoid too if someone took my baby away from me. Physically and emotionally, that has to take an incredible toll on a woman who is not expecting that. V wishes the doctors had told they didn't believe she was fit to be a mother so she could have made arrangements to have her child cared for by someone she knew. V is being told that doctors can decide which people are fit to be parents.

This is a tough case. It was all instigated over a cesarean that was not ultimately needed. How much time and money are being invested into keeping V's child away from her rather than trying to work with her and help her learn whatever parenting skills they feel she needs?

Website Launched Finally!

I have been himming and hawing for a year now trying to get the cesarean epidemic website up and running. Well I got some fire in my pants recently and found a free server to build the website on and host it for the time being until there is good traffic and I can purchase the actual .com name.

Please join Cesarean Epidemic by clicking on the link.

Also, check out our yahoo group, and forum, which are both linked on the homepage.

Pass it along and let everyone know!

Link between C-Sections/Diabetes?

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080826080810.htm

Caesarean Babies More Likely To Develop Diabetes

ScienceDaily (Aug. 27, 2008) — Babies delivered by Caesarean section have a 20 per cent higher risk than normal deliveries of developing the most common type of diabetes in childhood, according to a study led by Queen’s University Belfast.

The team, led by Dr Chris Cardwell and Dr Chris Patterson, examined 20 published studies from 16 countries including around 10,000 children with Type 1 diabetes and over a million control children.

They found a 20 per cent increase in the risk of children born by Caesarean section developing the disease. The increase could not be explained by factors such as birth weight, the age of the mother, order of birth, gestational diabetes and whether the baby was breast-fed or not, all factors associated with childhood diabetes in previous studies.

Dr Cardwell, from the School of Medicine, Dentistry and Biomedical Sciences, said: "This study revealed a consistent 20 per cent increase in the risk of Type 1 diabetes. It is important to stress that the reason for this is still not understood. It is possible that children born by Caesarean section differ from other children with respect to some unknown characteristic which consequently increases their risk of diabetes, but it is also possible that Caesarean section itself is responsible.

“Type 1 diabetes occurs when the immune system destroys the insulin producing cells in the pancreas, and one theory suggests that being born by Caesarean section may affect the development of the immune system because babies are first exposed to bacteria originating from the hospital environment rather than to maternal bacteria.”

Dr Chris Patterson said: “The study findings are interesting, but unless a biological mechanism is established it would be unwise to read too much into this association between Caesarean section delivery and diabetes.

“Fortunately figures from the Northern Ireland Type 1 diabetes register indicate that only around two per 1,000 children will develop diabetes by their 15th birthday so a 20 per cent increase is on quite a low baseline risk.”

Diabetes is a serious condition that, if not managed, can lead to fatal complications including heart disease, stroke, kidney failure and amputations. There are 2.3 million people in the UK diagnosed with diabetes and 250,000 with Type 1 diabetes. In Northern Ireland over 62,000 people have diabetes, 6,000 of them with Type 1 diabetes.

Around one in four babies in Northern Ireland are delivered by Caesarean section, which is significantly higher that the World Health Organisation’s recommended rate of 15 per cent.

Iain Foster, Director of Diabetes UK Northern Ireland, said: "Not all women have the choice of whether to have a Caesarean section or not, but those who do may wish to take this risk into consideration before choosing to give birth this way.

"We already know that genetics and childhood infections play a vital role in the development of Type 1 diabetes in children, but the findings of this study indicate that the way a baby is delivered could affect how likely it is to develop this condition later in life. Diabetes UK Northern Ireland would welcome more research in this area."

Slightly Amusing

I found myself at The Department of Motor Vehicles late last week to re-new my drivers license. I was hesitant because I am 37 weeks pregnant and ready to pop, and you can see it! But I guess that beats driving illegally.

I sit down in a row, a couple people down from a pregnant woman who looks like she could be about 32 weeks pregnant. She moves her seat and comes over to talk. Which really surprised me because there really aren't too many friendly people left out there. So we strike up a conversation about what we clearly have in common. I asked her when she was due and she says "My due date is September something, but they are doing a scheduled C-Section on August 22nd at 38 weeks you?"

Stopped me right in my tracks! I proceeded to tell her that I am due in 3 weeks. So she asks what kind of birth I am having.

"Oh, I am having a planned home birth. I had a C-Section with my first and my second and third were born at home"

Her face looked like I just ran her puppy over. She almost looked speechless until she came out with one of the rudest, ignorant, and down right nasty thing's you could ever say.

"You should be in jail for trying to kill your babies"

WHAT?!

It is so sad that today people can still say things like that.

Why the rise?

Since 1996 cesarean births have risen 45%.

That is a pretty strong statistic.
45% is a lot.
45% is a high number.

In 2000, The American Academy of Gynecologists and Obstetricians, as well as The American Medical Association, and The US Department of Health and Human Services all released major reports about the cesarean rates and stressing that they need to come down a significant amount.

Here we are in 2008 and our cesarean birth rates have only grown over the past 8 years.

Did the ACOG, AMA and Department of Health and Human services simply forget about these major reports? Did they ever address what they need to do to help reduce our dangerous cesarean rate?

The World Health Organization continues to stay on top of this issue considering we are over double what they consider to be safe in The United States.

Why are more people not concerned?

**Comments**

Comments on this blog are modified.

So just like your Momma taught you, If you don't have anything nice to say, Don't say anything at all.

Thank you March Of Dimes

For a long time we all knew that there was a serious link between the dangerously high number of cesarean births and the amount of babies being born prematurely in our country.

• Women who schedule their Cesarean around their work and vacation schedule.
• Well I think my last period was April 7th, but hey, that could be 2 weeks off.
• I had a c-section with my first 3 kids and it was just sooooo easy, so pump in those pain meds and lets get that baby out!
• I don't want to stretch out my vagina!
• I am scared of child birth!
• Once a Cesarean always a Cesarean right?
• OMG my risk of uterine rupture from VBAC is just scary!

Thankfully an amazing and reputable organization in the medical community has stepped forward to shed some light on this major issue.

Thank you to The March of Dimes!
The following is a release from them.

C- Sections a Critical Factor in Preterm Birth Increase

Some C-Sections May Not Be Medically Necessary, March of Dimes Says

WHITE PLAINS, NY, MAY 28, 2008, – Cesarean sections account for nearly all of the increase in U.S. singleton preterm births, according to an analysis of nine years of national birth data.

Between 1996 and 2004 there was an increase of nearly 60,000 singleton preterm births and 92 percent of those infants were delivered by a cesarean section, (c-section), according to research by investigators from the March of Dimes and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that will be published in the June issue of Clinics in Perinatology. While singleton preterm births increased by about 10 percent during this time, the c-section rate for this group increased by 36 percent.

Preterm birth is a serious and costly health concern and is the leading cause of death in the first month of life. More than 520,000 babies – one out of every eight – are born too soon each year in the United States.

Late preterm babies, those born 34-36 weeks gestation, account for most of the increase in the US singleton preterm birth rate. These infants have a greater risk of breathing problems, feeding difficulties, temperature instability (hypothermia), jaundice, delayed brain development and death than babies born at term. This new analysis shows that that these late preterm infants had the largest increase in c-section deliveries.

“While maternal and fetal complications during pregnancy may result in the need for a c-section, we’re concerned that some early c-section deliveries may be occurring for non-medically indicated reasons,” said Alan R. Fleischman, M.D., the March of Dimes medical director and senior vice president. “We need research to determine how many c-sections that result in preterm babies are not medically indicated and may place both mother and baby at risk for little or no medical benefit. ”

C-sections are the most common major surgical procedure for women. More than 30 percent of the 4.1 million U.S. live births are delivered via c-section and the rate has increased dramatically since 1996. A c-section delivery can be lifesaving when there are complications during pregnancy, but it is a major operation with potential risks to the mother from the surgery and anesthesia and to the baby, if the delivery occurs too soon. The March of Dimes is concerned that some early deliveries may occur without good medical justification and may be done at the request of the mother or based on an inappropriate recommendation from the doctor.

“The Relationship Between Cesarean Delivery and Gestational Age Among US Singleton Births,” by Bettegowda VR. et al. will be published in Clinics in Perinatology, Vol. 35.

The March of Dimes is the leading nonprofit organization for pregnancy and baby health. With chapters nationwide and its premier event, March for Babies^SM, the March of Dimes works to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth and infant mortality. For the latest resources and information, visit marchofdimes.com or nacersano.org. For detailed national, state and local perinatal statistics, visit PeriStats at www.marchofdimes.com/peristats

What is Cesarean Epidemic?

There are blogs for everything today! Family blogs, Book Blogs, Craft Store Blogs, Midwife Blogs, Doula Blogs, Nurse Blogs.... You get the picture right?

This blog is to point a focus on the cesarean birth epidemic taking place in The United States, and other parts of the world. Posting facts, related news pieces, opinion blogs, and everything that goes hand and hand with the problem our country is facing today.

We also have a yahoo e-mail group, a cafe mom group, and a myspace group.
We are working on a full scale website also.

I hope you enjoy!