© Live Science
Rates of Cesarean section deliveries in the United States climbed to 34 percent in 2009, hitting an all time high, a new study says.
Florida, New Jersey and Texas had the highest rates, while Utah, Wisconsin and Colorado had the lowest of the 19 states included in the study.
"Obviously, a 34 percent C-section rate is far too high," said Jacqueline Wolf, a researcher at Ohio University who wasn't involved in the study. "Medical reasons alone cannot possibly explain why more than one in three American women need major abdominal surgery in order to safely give birth."
A C-section (cesarean section) is necessary to remove the baby from the uterus when a vaginal delivery could risk the health of the mother or the baby, or when a prior C-section makes vaginal delivery difficult or dangerous.
"In many cases of C-section in recent years, the
benefits may be questionable and important healthcare organizations, including the Joint Commission and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, have endorsed safely reducing C-sections rates in certain types of pregnancies," wrote the study researchers.
The new study was performed by HealthGrades, a company whose website allows patients to search for and rate physicians.
Comment: Let's All Light Up!