Study Shows Steep Rise in Elective C-Sections
Study Shows Steep Rise in Elective C-Sections
Nov. 18, 2004 -- It is known as elective C-section or C-section on demand, and now new research suggests that the once highly controversial practice of choosing surgical delivery when there is no compelling medical reason to do so is gaining acceptance among American women.
A review of U.S. birth certificates between 1991 and 2001 showed a steep rise in cesarean deliveries among women with no reported medical risk. Rates were steady until the mid-1990s, but they rose sharply after that.
"This really does appear to represent a new phenomenon in American obstetrics," lead researcher Eugene Declercq, PhD, tells WebMD. "These figures were certainly higher than we expected to see, both in terms of percentages and raw numbers. We are talking about around 80,000 births in 2001 alone."
The late 1980s and early 1990s saw an overall decline in cesarean deliveries in the United States, prompted by a move by leading professional organizations to reduce rising surgical birth rates. The downward trend reversed in 1996, however, and rates began to increase rapidly.
In their review of roughly 4 million births per year between 1991 and 2001, Declercq and colleagues were able to identify mothers who had the lowest risk of delivery complications. Twenty-eight specific labor and delivery complications are recorded on birth certificates, and the authors included only deliveries with none of them. Women who gave birth to twins, triplets, etc. were also excluded from the analysis.
The birth records showed that cesarean deliveries increased by 67% among these low-risk women in the decade prior to 2002. Older, first-time mothers were the most likely to have a cesarean without an obvious medical reason. Low-risk, first-time moms who were 40 and older were more than five times more likely to have surgical deliveries than first-time moms between the ages of 20 and 24.
The rate of C-section deliveries among low-risk, first-time moms between the ages of 35 and 39 increased to 18% in 2001 from 12% in 1991, while the rate among women aged 40 and over increased to just under 26% from 18% during the same period. The study is published in the Nov. 20 issue of the British Medical Journal.
A review of U.S. birth certificates between 1991 and 2001 showed a steep rise in cesarean deliveries among women with no reported medical risk. Rates were steady until the mid-1990s, but they rose sharply after that.
"This really does appear to represent a new phenomenon in American obstetrics," lead researcher Eugene Declercq, PhD, tells WebMD. "These figures were certainly higher than we expected to see, both in terms of percentages and raw numbers. We are talking about around 80,000 births in 2001 alone."
Downward Trend Reversed in '96
The late 1980s and early 1990s saw an overall decline in cesarean deliveries in the United States, prompted by a move by leading professional organizations to reduce rising surgical birth rates. The downward trend reversed in 1996, however, and rates began to increase rapidly.
In their review of roughly 4 million births per year between 1991 and 2001, Declercq and colleagues were able to identify mothers who had the lowest risk of delivery complications. Twenty-eight specific labor and delivery complications are recorded on birth certificates, and the authors included only deliveries with none of them. Women who gave birth to twins, triplets, etc. were also excluded from the analysis.
The birth records showed that cesarean deliveries increased by 67% among these low-risk women in the decade prior to 2002. Older, first-time mothers were the most likely to have a cesarean without an obvious medical reason. Low-risk, first-time moms who were 40 and older were more than five times more likely to have surgical deliveries than first-time moms between the ages of 20 and 24.
The rate of C-section deliveries among low-risk, first-time moms between the ages of 35 and 39 increased to 18% in 2001 from 12% in 1991, while the rate among women aged 40 and over increased to just under 26% from 18% during the same period. The study is published in the Nov. 20 issue of the British Medical Journal.
