Cesarean Section in the US

• The most common major operation performed in the United States ia a Cesarean section.
• 16 US hospitals had Cesarean section rates of 45% or higher in 1994.
• 106 hospitals had Cesarean section rates of 37% or higher in 1994.
• About half of the Cesareans done in the US in1991 were unnecessary. This cost Americans more than $1.3 billion.
• The women having Cesarean sections are the ones least likely to need them.
• The World Health Organization states that there is no justification for having a Cesarean rate higher than 10-15%.
• The risk of maternal death associated with Cesarean section is two to four times that associated with vaginal births.
• Midwife-attended birth is associated with low rates of Cesarean section.
• Obstetricians who work with midwives have lower rates of intervention.
• The World Health Organization states that countries with some of the lowest perinatal mortality rates in the world have cesarean rates under 10%.
• Evidence and peer education do not change standards of practice.

The greatest danger arises from ruthless application of partial knowledge on a vast scale.
E.F. Schumacher References