The Overuse of Cesarean Delivery

摘要

In the decade between 1998 and 2007, the national rate of cesarean delivery in the United States rose by 50% from 21.2% to 31.8% (MacDomnan, Menacker, & Declercq, 2008). Although this rate seems to have reached a plateau at just less than 33% for 2009-2011 (Hamilton, Martin, & Ventura, 2012), the practical reality is that one in every three pregnant American women now give birth via cesarean. This high rate has been fueled by increases in primary and repeat cesarean deliveries. Notably, more than 26% of low-risk women nulliparous women undergo cesarean delivery, and these rates are greatest for women more than 25 years of age, women carrying a male fetus, Black or African American women, and married women (National Center for Health Statistics, 2013). It is clear that to address this issue, we must implement strategies targeting the reduction of primary cesarean deliveries.