New Study on Non-Emergency Cesarean Birth
A new study published in the British Medical Journal finds that women who gave birth by a non-emergency cesarean were twice as likely to face maternal morbidity as those who delivered vaginally. Women who received non-emergency cesareans were also three to five times more likely to undergo a hysterectomy and develop a postpartum infection, compared to women who gave birth vaginally. And babies delivered by non-emergency c-section were twice as likely to remain in neonatal intensive care (NICU) for at least seven days.
The one protective effect of cesareans they did find: Breech babies delivered by c-section had lower risk of fetal death and their mothers had reduced vaginal complications. In evaluating the data from over 97,000 births, the research team recommends cesarean section for high-risk deliveries only. For the abstract, go to:
British Medical Journal
Additional Source: www.hmhb.org
