Factors that Increase the Cesarean Rate
Labor Inductions, Epidurals and Mother's Diet Increase Cesareans
Dec 26, 2008
For many years, cesareans were performed for only the truest of emergencies. Only 40 years ago the cesarean rate in the United States hovered around 5%. Now cesarean rates in the US are just under 30%. The US is not alone in seeing the dramatic climb in cesarean rates, In fact, cesarean rates have skyrocketed in the last 20-40 years in nearly all parts of the world.
Cesarean Rates Around the World
Today, nearly 1 in 3 babies are born by cesarean in the United States. Cesarean rates in Canada are only slightly lower at 26% and in the UK, the cesarean birth rates are similar at 23% of all births. Japan's cesarean rate has doubled in the last 18 years from 11% to now about 21%. One of the highest cesarean rates can be found in Brazil, where about 35% of the mothers in public health care have cesareans. In private medical settings, cesarean rates are just under 80% for Brazilian women. One of the only countries to maintain a low cesarean rate has been in the Netherlands where about 12% of mothers give birth by cesarean. This low cesarean rate in the Netherlands may be, in part, due to the high rate (30%) of mothers who choose homebirth.
World Health Organization Recommendations
Despite the fact that the World Health Organization recommends a cesarean rate closer to 10-15% in developed countries, they believe that only about 10% of the time, cesareans are needed for true medical indications. This recommendation translates to the reality that in some parts of the world, about 50% of cesareans are unnecessary.
Known Factors That Increase a Mother's Chance of Cesarean
Research shows that having a labor artificially induced with pitocin increases her chances of having a cesarean. If the mother's body is not ready for labor, flooding her body with artificial hormones (Iv pitocin), while giving her contractions, ultimately may result in a cesarean if her cervix does not dilate.
Using pain medication, specifically epidural analgesia, in early labor, has shown to double a mother's likelihood of having a cesarean. Experts speculate that altering the mother's pattern of labor by performing an epidural before labor is well-established, can make it more difficult for the mother to have a vaginal birth.
Some evidence suggests that continuous electronic fetal monitoring (which is also used during labor inductions and epidurals) also increases the mother's risk of cesarean. Being hooked up to monitors with limited mobility and potential "false positive" readings that appear to show a baby in distress when the baby is actually healthy, can result in more cesareans.
Vitamin D Deficiency Increases Risk of Cesareans
New research indicates that the mother's diet may also be a factor in the rising cesarean rate. Women whose diet had lower amounts of vitamin D were more likely to have a cesarean. In fact, their results showed a risk that was nearly 4 times greater for mothers whose diet was vitamin D deficient versus those who were getting normal amounts of vitamin D. Vitamin D deficiency can cause muscle weakness and affect muscle performance and strength. Since the uterus is a muscular organ, perhaps not getting sufficient amounts of vitamin D at the time of birth results in poor contractions and, as the study indicates, an increase in the risk of cesarean.
Adding Vitamin D-Rich Foods to Your Diet
If you are expecting and want to be sure you are getting a good supply of vitamin D, foods to add to your diet that are rich in vitamin D include cod liver oil (or supplements), herring, catfish, salmon, trout, halibut, tuna and mackerel. You can also find foods such as milk, orange juice and cereals that are Vitamin D enriched.
