As C-section Rates Go Up, Natural Births Recommended

New guidelines released by two respected medical societies are recommending that more doctors try to lower the rate of annual C-sections by promoting natural births.

The Cesarean section, or C-section for short, is a surgical procedure in which an incision is made through a mother's abdomen and uterus to safely and quickly deliver a baby.

C-sections are most commonly preformed when a vaginal delivery faces complications, or when the mother's or baby's health is at risk. In some cases, however, C-sections are preformed in hospitals when the vaginal delivery is taking too long and may begin to pose a danger.

But new guidelines drafted by the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine, and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommend that doctors have more patience, waiting longer than what was thought appropriate for a vaginal birth to be successful.

These recommendations were made following a recent flood of new evidence that indicates that natural birth may take longer on average than medical practitioners once thought.

The new guidelines were also written in the interest of the safety of the mother. According to notes accompanying the new guidelines, mothers who undergo C-sections are three times more likely to die of complications than mothers who deliver their child naturally. With this finding, researcher behind the data urged professionals to avoid C-sections whenever possible.

According to both organizations, the rate of C-sections within the past 5 years has increased by over 60 percent; and while the procedure has become far safer with advances in medicine, the same goes for natural birthing.

C-sections can also cause complications for mothers after delivery, where massive amounts of scar tissue around the abdominal region can cause pain for months and result in general stretching of the skin in that region.

Of course, both organizations admit that in some cases, natural birth is a poor choice. In those cases, according to the guidelines, a C-section is always preferable.

The latest birthing guidelines were released by the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine and American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.

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