Do not go for voluntary c-section

[Guest guest]

Lifetime problems to moms after C-section have been already discussed

on this list. C-sections are undertaken to avoid complex delivery and

possible negative outcomes. But facts say otherwise.

 

Infant and neonatal mortality rates are higher with voluntary

caesarean sections than with vaginal births, according to a study

published in the September issue of the journal Birth: Issues in

Perinatal Care, the New York Times (9/5) reports

 

Marian MacDorman, a CDC statistician, and colleagues examined data on

5,762,037 live births and 11,897 infant deaths from 1998 through 2001

in the U.S. to assess the risk of death for infants and neonates as a

result of voluntary c-sections among women with no indicated

complications. Higher mortality rates associated with c-section

deliveries previously have been attributed to higher risk factors of

the pregnant woman, the Times reports(Bakalar, New York Times, 9/5).

According to the researchers, the study is the first of its kind to

assess the risks of c-section delivery among women who voluntarily

undergo the procedure. C-section births in the U.S. increased from

20.7% in 1996 to 29.1% in 2004

 

Study Findings

The study finds that neonatal and infant mortality rates were 1.77

per 1,000 infants delivered via voluntary c-section, compared with

0.62 per 1,000 infants delivered vaginally (MacDorman et al., Birth:

Issues in Perinatal Care, 9/5). Researchers said that the higher

mortality rates among voluntary c-section deliveries could be because

vaginal labor releases hormones that promote healthy lung

functioning. According to the researchers, the physical compression

of the infants during vaginal birth helps to eliminate fluid from the

lungs and prepares the infants to breathe. Researchers also suggested

that possible cuts to the infants during a c-section or delayed

establishment of breast-feeding might account for the increased death

rate. The researchers said the study is limited by the accuracy of

medical data reported on birth certificates. Michael Malloy, a co-

author of the article and a professor of pediatrics at the University

of Texas Medical Branch, said, "Despite attempts to control for a

number of factors that might have accounted for a greater risk in

mortality associated with c-sections, we continued to observe enough

risk to prompt concern," adding, "When obstetricians review this

information, perhaps it will promote greater discussion within the

obstetrical community about the pros and cons of offering c-sections

for convenience and promote more research into understanding why this

increased risk persists." According to MacDorman, "Neonatal deaths

are rare for low-risk women -- on the order of about one death per

1,000 live births -- but even after we adjusted for socioeconomic and

medical risk factors, the difference persisted" (New York Times,

9/5).

YOu can read the above info at:

http://www.kaisernetwork.org/daily_reports/rep_index.cfm?DR_ID=39604