In an effort to curtail caesarean sections, two prominent medical groups in the US, the [b]American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) and the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine (SMFM)[/b] have issued guidelines calling for doctors to let first-time mothers remain in labour longer. According to a [s]Boston Globe[/s] report, the recommendation was driven by recent studies showing that the rise over the past decade in caesarean sections hasn’t led to better health outcomes for women or babies, such as lower mortality rates. The report says the movement to reduce the caesarean rate has been growing stronger over the past few years.
One large Canadian study found that mothers who delivered vaginally fared better, with less than 1% experiencing a life-threatening complication, such as a serious infection or excessive bleeding or uterine rupture that required a hysterectomy, compared with nearly 3% of those who had caesarean deliveries.
[link url=http://www.bostonglobe.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/2014/02/20/longer-labor-times-recommended-quest-reduce-sections/pS3EA85ki5ZeZhIUOo60YP/story.html]Full Boston Globe report[/link]
[link url=http://www.acog.org/About_ACOG/News_Room/News_Releases/2014/Nations_Ob-Gyns_Take_Aim_at_Preventing_Cesareans]ACOG-SMFM: Obstetric Care Consensus Guideline[/link]