Soaring C-Section Rate Troubles Doctors

Mar. 23 -- FRIDAY, July 13 (HealthDay) -- Convenience has become a fixture in American society. As life grows more fast-paced, people look for more corners to cut and ways to save time.

But should the desire for convenience extend to one of the most fundamental natural functions -- the act of childbirth?

A growing number of mothers and physicians apparently think so. The rate of women who deliver their babies via Caesarean section stands at a record high in the United States, accounting for more than 29 percent of all births in 2004.

While the procedure is sometimes medically necessary for preserving the lives of mother and child, many health experts believe a desire for convenience has driven the Caesarean section rate to its current heights.

And, as the use of Caesarean section has grown, so have concerns that the desire for convenience is creating unnecessary health risks.

"Caesarean section is major abdominal surgery, and, as with all major abdominal surgery, it carries major risks," said Dr. Marsden Wagner, a former director of women's and children's health for the World Health Organization. "As you do more and more Caesareans, the chance you are making things better gets less and less."

U.S. health officials are trying to cut the Caesarean delivery rate in half, bringing it down to 15 percent by 2010.

That case runs counter to some fairly strong trends.

The use of Caesarean-section surgery has increased by 38 percent since 1997. About one of every five babies was delivered through C-section then; now, the rate is more than one of every four babies.

Patient preference is one reason why the rate of C-sections is growing. Rather than waiting in suspense for labor to begin, women can schedule to the hour when they will deliver their child.

"If the woman has been told it's just as safe as vaginal childbirth, there's that temptation to schedule it when grandma's going to be in town," Wagner said.

Caesarean section also saves time for harried obstetricians who find themselves stretched too thin, he added.