C-Sections on the Rise - Risky and Usually Unnecessary

In the United States, the rate of babies being born by the Caesarean Section method is currently at thirty percent-- an all-time high. In that studies have shown that the risk factors which necessitate this procedure have not increased, it is a good idea for anyone contemplating pregnancy and childbirth to have the facts, both about the risks involved in this procedure, and the reason for the drastic increase in its use.

In the largest percentage, where there are no medical indications which would cause a C-Section to be necessary, the decision to have a C-section is usually based on either of two factors: maternal convenience, and doctors' concern about potential malpractice lawsuits. Neither of these factors are just cause for this procedure-- especially if one is armed with full knowledge of its risks. It is outrageous for a mother to endanger both her child and herself by way of this relatively-new "Caesarean-by-choice" method, which is based on nothing more than her own desire for "convenience," orchestrating the timing of her child's birth. Likewise, doctors' growing fear of malpractice suits have led far too many to make hasty decisions in favor of C-sections when they are not necessary-- frequently using such often-irrelevant factors as the age of the mother to deem this procedure "the best way" to produce a birth. While many simply decide that if the mother is over thirty, or over thirty-five, this automatically constitutes a too much of a risk for a normal birth, it has been proven that maternal age is not a factor in itself.

In addition to the increased rate of C-sections being cause for concern, there is also the matter that this procedure is much different now than it was in the past, and these differences cause significant risks to both mother and child. In the past, a doctor carefully monitored his patient's progress during pregnancy; and, if there were medical concerns which indicated the need for a C-section, this was generally decided upon as far before the point of birth as possible. The main factor which made C-sections less risky in the past than they are today is that in the past the birth was scheduled; these days, however, one of the most dramatic risk-factors is that the mother is frequently allowed to go into labor before the procedure is implemented. As a result, there are far too many children coming into the world with the odds of their health stacked against them, including such serious conditions as epilepsy and other neurological damage from labor being allowed to proceed before the C-section takes place.

The relatively-new method of no longer administering general anesthesia to a mother who is undergoing a C-section also poses risks. While a general anesthesia is not uniformly healthy for either mother or baby, the "modern way" of the mother remaining conscious during this type of major surgery is also cause for concern. In this type of situation, far too little attention is paid to avoiding the risk of infection-- and these risks increase for patients who consider it "fashionable" to have friends and family members present during the surgery, as well as from doctors who are now believing it "okay" to send mothers home shortly after this major surgical procedure.

In short, there are medical conditions which point to C-sections as the best option, or even essential, but these are much rarer than the current increase suggests. It is simply not in the best interest of either mother or child to decide upon a Casearaean section unless it is medically necessary.