C-sections have skyrocketed in the U.S. since the mid-1970s. In just one generation, this country's C-section rate has increased 500%. One in three babies are now born via C-section—compare that one in 20 in the mid-70s.
Every day, roughly 10,000 babies are born in the United States, and about a third of them are born via Cesarean section. This share has gone up significantly over time, and many in the scientific community believe that it's higher than is necessary.
Australia's caesarean section rate was higher than the OECD average over this time and ranked 27th out of 34 OECD countries in 2017, with a rate of 33.7 per 100 live births (ranked from lowest to highest) (OECD 2019). In 2020, 37% of all women giving birth in Australia had a caesarean section (AIHW 2022).
Repeat cesarean delivery rates decreased less than 1% for all maternal age groups between 2019 and 2021 (changes were not significant for women under age 25 and aged 40 and over) (Figure 2 and Table 2).
First time cesarean deliveries have been on the rise since 2019, rising from 21.6% to 22.4% after fluctuating for years. Some have speculated that this may be due to heightened concerns during COVID-19, whereas others focus their attention on the financial and legal implications for the providers delivering babies.
Overuse of c-sections matters because, while often lifesaving in limited circumstances, the surgery also brings serious risks for babies (such as higher rates of infection, respiratory complications, and neonatal intensive care unit stays, as well as lower breastfeeding rates) and for mothers (such as higher rates of ...
Which Country Has the Most C-Sections Each Year? The country with the highest rate of C-sections each year is the country of Turkey, according to the most recent statistics. Those statistics are from 2019. In 2019, there were 544 Caesarian sections per 1,000 live births in the nation of Turkey.
Although C-sections are sometimes necessary, public health leaders say these surgeries have been overused in many places. Black women, particularly, are more likely to give birth by C-section than any other racial group in the country. Often, hospitals and even regions have wide, unexplained variations in rates.
Risks of haemorrhage in future pregnancies from
The risk increases with the number of caesarean sections and can lead to life-threatening haemorrhage and caesarean hysterectomy. Possible higher risk of placental separation and haemorrhage during future pregnancy.
Having a C-section increases the risk of complications in a later pregnancy and in other surgeries. The more C-sections, the higher the risks of placenta previa and a condition in which the placenta becomes attached to the wall of the uterus (placenta accreta).
About 3 out of every 5 caesarean births in Australia are planned (elective). Sometimes health problems or pregnancy complications mean that a caesarean birth would be safer than a vaginal birth.
There is no evidence that your height or the size of your baby can predict whether you will need a c-section. Being short or having a small pelvis or small feet does not affect whether you can have a vaginal birth. But you may be more likely to have a c-section if you're overweight or over the age of 40.
Having a C-section is a safe procedure. The rate of complications is very low. However, there are some risks, including infection of the bladder or uterus, injury to the urinary tract, and injury to the baby. A C-section may also cause problems in future pregnancies.
Which is safer: vaginal birth or C-section? Vaginal birth is much safer than a C-section for most women and babies. Sometimes a C-section is the only safe option, like when the baby is positioned side-to-side in the belly (transverse lie) or the placenta is covering the cervix (placenta previa).
Average hospital payments are much greater for cesarean than vaginal birth and may offer hospitals greater opportunity for profit. Professional expectations for work-life balance. Compared with the past, health care providers have greater expectations for work-life balance.
Women are three times more likely to die during a cesarean delivery than during a vaginal birth, due mostly to blood clots, infections and complications from anesthesia, according to a 2006 study published in the journal Obstetrics & Gynecology.
Babies born by cesarean section don't have the same healthy bacteria as those born vaginally, but a Rutgers-led study for the first time finds that these natural bacteria can be restored. The study appears in the journal Med. Professor Maria Gloria Dominguez-Bello is the senior author of the new study.
By the start of the 20th century, the advancement of anesthesia and antisepsis had made C-sections practical and safe enough for doctors to start focusing on refining and improving the procedure.
Research shows that birth by cesarean section can influence your baby's microbiome and immune health. New research has found that babies born via cesarean section may have an impaired immune system in later life due to the lack of exposure to maternal bacteria that would occur during the standard birthing process.
Shorter duration of labor
Vaginal delivery is painful, exhausting, and physically grueling. C-section, on the other hand, is pain-free and less time-consuming. One can decide on a time for the surgery with their doctor and get the procedure done comfortably.
“So, every patient is different and every case is unique. However, from the current medical evidence, most medical authorities do state that if multiple C-sections are planned, the expert recommendation is to adhere to the maximum number of three.”
In the United States in 2020, 31.8% of live births were cesarean deliveries. In the United States in 2020, the rate of primary cesarean deliveries was 21.9 per 100 live births to women who have not had a previous cesarean delivery, or of all live births.
You might need to plan a C-section if you're pregnant with two or more babies or if you have a medical condition or infection. If you run into an emergency during labor, you may also need a C-section. Here are a few examples of when this might be the safer option: Your labor isn't progressing as it should.
C-sections today are, in general, safe for both mother and baby. However, there are risks with any kind of surgery. Potential C-section risks include: increased bleeding (that could, though rarely, require a blood transfusion)
While a caesarean section can be an essential and lifesaving surgery, it can put women and babies at unnecessary risk of short- and long-term health problems if performed when there is not medical need.