A study published in the Maternal and Child Health Journal suggests that doctors may be significantly overestimating the number of women who are pregnant with large babies, or macrosomia, likely leading to unnecessary C-sections and inductions. Researchers out of San Francisco and Boston analyzed data from the Listening to Mothers III Survey, a nationally representative survey of 2,400 women who had given birth between July 2011 and June 2012. They found that although 33% of women surveyed were told by their doctors that they were carrying a baby that was “quite large,” only roughly 10% of women surveyed actually delivered a macrosomic child. Women surveyed were also more likely to ask for an epidural or a planned C-section. As there is no exact science for determining a baby’s weight at the end of gestation, expectant mothers should be aware that birth weight estimates are exactly that, so you should discuss with your healthcare provider whether an elective C-section or medically induced labor is the right choice for you and your child.
Study: C-Section Rates Should Near 19% for Overall Health of Mother and Child
In a new study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, doctors from Massachusetts and California followed the relationship between cesarean deliveries and maternal/neonatal mortality rates around the world and compared those findings to older global analyses conducted by the World Health Organization (“WHO”). Analyzing childbirth in 194 countries from 2005-2012, a C-section rate of 19 per 100 live births, the researchers suggest, is ideal for the overall health of both women and children, resulting in the lowest mortality rate—up from the WHO’s ideal rate of 10-15% established 30 years ago. “As countries increase the number of C-sections they provide, mortality goes down” — though benefits only continue to a point before plateauing, one of the study’s authors Dr. Thomas Weiser noted.
The following reviews from our clients do not constitute a guarantee, warranty, or prediction regarding the outcome of another legal matter. The cases mentioned in the reviews are illustrative of some of the matters previously handled by Grant & Eisenhofer involving various areas of birth injury law. These reviews are endorsements.
The following reviews from our clients do not constitute a guarantee, warranty, or prediction regarding the outcome of another legal matter. The cases mentioned in the reviews are illustrative of some of the matters previously handled by Grant & Eisenhofer involving various areas of birth injury law. These reviews are endorsements.
