Understanding the Dangers of Cesarean Birth: Making Informed Decisions

Cesarean delivery - childbirth through an incision in the mother's lower abdomen - is now the most common major surgical procedure performed in the United States. No one argues over the fact that it can be a life-saving procedure when the baby or mother is at risk. But for almost three decades in this nation, cesarean deliveries have increased, without substantially better outcomes for babies or mothers. Experts warn that up to 50 percent of the more than 1 million C-sections performed here...