The country with the highest rate of C-sections each year is the country of Turkey, according to the most recent statistics.
Australia's caesarean section rate was higher than the OECD average over this time and ranked 27th out of 34 OECD countries in 2017, with a rate of 33.7 per 100 live births (ranked from lowest to highest) (OECD 2019). In 2020, 37% of all women giving birth in Australia had a caesarean section (AIHW 2022).
Average hospital payments are much greater for cesarean than vaginal birth, and may offer hospitals greater scope for profit. All of these factors contribute to a current national cesarean section rate of over 30%, despite evidence that a rate of 5% to 10% would be optimal. Althabe F, Belizan JF.
Caesareans were most frequent in Cyprus (54.8 % of all live births in 2017), followed by Romania (44.1%), Bulgaria (43.1%), Poland (39.3%) and Hungary (37.3%), and the least in Finland (16.5%), Sweden (16.6%), Estonia and Lithuania (both 19.4%) and France (19.7%). The source dataset can be found here and here.
Retrieved January 6, 2023, from www.marchofdimes.org/peristats. During 2018-2020 (average) in the United States, cesarean delivery rates were highest for black infants (35.9%), followed by Asian/Pacific Islanders (32.6%), Hispanics (31.5%), Whites (30.7%) and American Indian/Alaska Natives (28.9%).
In 2019, 159.1 C-sections per 1,000 births were performed in Norway. The country with the lowest rate of C-sections per 1,000 live births in 2019 was Israel. Only 150.5 C-sections per 1,000 live births happened in Israel during 2019.
In 2020, 37% of all women giving birth in Australia had a caesarean section (AIHW 2022). The increasing rates of caesarean sections may be influenced by several maternal and clinical factors and medico legal concerns, however, the reasons for the steep rise remain unexplained.
In some situations, a C-section is not only preferable but mandatory—situations involving conditions like placenta previa, in which going into labor would precipitate life-threatening hemorrhaging, or cord prolapse, which can cause the death of a baby if a C-section is not performed in a manner of minutes.
Experts have categorized maternal reasons for childbirth in six main categories: the fear of childbirth, safety concerns related to health risk perceptions, negative experiences of previous births, reliance on science and surgery, access to biased information, and superstitious beliefs of inauspicious birth dates.
Such high rates are due mainly to an increase of elective C-sections, says Salimah Walani, the vice president of global programs at March of Dimes, a U.S. maternal and child health organization. "The procedure is done when it is not really necessary or indicated," she says.
“So, every patient is different and every case is unique. However, from the current medical evidence, most medical authorities do state that if multiple C-sections are planned, the expert recommendation is to adhere to the maximum number of three.”
Which is safer: vaginal birth or C-section? Vaginal birth is much safer than a C-section for most women and babies. Sometimes a C-section is the only safe option, like when the baby is positioned side-to-side in the belly (transverse lie) or the placenta is covering the cervix (placenta previa).
About 3 out of every 5 caesarean births in Australia are planned (elective). Sometimes health problems or pregnancy complications mean that a caesarean birth would be safer than a vaginal birth.
Women who've given birth by caesarean section (C-section) usually have the option to deliver their next baby vaginally. But if your doctor thinks there are health concerns or risks with a VBAC, they may recommend an elective caesarean.
Your doctor may suggest scheduling a C-section if you experience any of the following: Pre-Existing Conditions. Certain medical conditions, such as heart disease, preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, HIV, and genital herpes, can make vaginal labor dangerous for you and your baby. Cephalopelvic Disproportion (CPD).
You have a right to say no to medical procedures a doctor or other provider thinks you should have. If a doctor tells you you have to have a c-section, you have the option to tell the doctor you will decline the procedure. You can also simply go to the hospital when you are in labor and decline the c-section then.
In a typical C-section, a drape is set up to provide a sterile operating field, meaning you can't see your baby being born. In a “gentle C-section,” we offer the option of using a clear drape or a drape that has a clear window, allowing you to get that first glance of your baby.
By the start of the 20th century, the advancement of anesthesia and antisepsis had made C-sections practical and safe enough for doctors to start focusing on refining and improving the procedure.
The prevalence of maternal mortality and maternal morbidity is higher after CS than after vaginal birth. CS is associated with an increased risk of uterine rupture, abnormal placentation, ectopic pregnancy, stillbirth, and preterm birth, and these risks increase in a dose-response manner.
Why you need to wait. The concern regarding having a C-section and driving too soon centers around your physical capabilities and the risks associated with being under the influence of pain medication. A C-section is a major surgery, which means it comes with serious risks and aftereffects during the recovery period.
Babies born by cesarean section don't have the same healthy bacteria as those born vaginally, but a Rutgers-led study for the first time finds that these natural bacteria can be restored. The study appears in the journal Med. Professor Maria Gloria Dominguez-Bello is the senior author of the new study.
Several factors can increase the chance of having a C-section, such as being older, overweight, or having diabetes.
Does Walking and Exercise Prevent C-Sections? According to a study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, women who participated in moderate exercise during pregnancy were 34% less likely to have a cesarean delivery than their non-exercising counterparts.