Cesarean Section News and Research

Latest Cesarean Section News and Research

Researcher looks for link between gene and pregnancy weight gain

Even before last week’s release of revised pregnancy weight-gain guidelines, a researcher at the University of Rochester School of Nursing was studying why certain women gain more pounds than others and searching for ways to help them maintain healthy weights.

13 Jun 2009

Los Angeles Times examines increase in Caesarean births, related rise in risk, cost

Caesarean sections -- which are performed in 31% of births, up from 4.5% in 1965 -- often are considered an unnecessary risk and "an example of how the intensive and expensive U.S. brand of medicine has failed to deliver better results and may, in fact, be doing more harm than good," the Los Angeles Times reports.

19 May 2009

Women with epilepsy should avoid taking the drug valproate during pregnancy

New guidelines developed by the American Academy of Neurology and the American Epilepsy Society show it's relatively safe for women with epilepsy to become pregnant, but caution must be taken, including avoiding one particular epilepsy drug that can cause birth defects.

27 Apr 2009

Births by Cesarean section rose by more than 40 percent in 10 years

The percentage of pregnant women undergoing a repeat Cesarean section (C-section) delivery jumped from 65 percent to 90 percent between 1997 and 2006, according to the latest News and Numbers from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

16 Apr 2009

Interventional radiology makes complicated C-sections safer

Innovative, interventional radiology treatments are making childbirth safer for women who have C-sections that are complicated by massive bleeding and for those who suffer from the pregnancy condition of "invasive" placenta.

11 Mar 2009

Probiotics prevent IgE-associated allergy until age 5 in cesarean-delivered children but not in total cohort

According to a recent study from the University and the University Central Hospital of Helsinki, Finland, no allergy-preventive effect is extended to age 5 years by perinatal supplementation with probiotics in babies at risk for developing allergies; protection is conferred only to Cesarean section babies.

15 Jan 2009

Repeat cesarean deliveries before 39 weeks raises risk of neonatal illness

Women choosing repeat cesarean deliveries and having them at term but before completing 39 weeks gestation are up to two times more likely to have a baby with serious complications including respiratory distress resulting in mechanical ventilation and NICU admission.

7 Jan 2009

Serious health problems related to late preterm births

More than half a million babies are born preterm in the United States each year, and preterm births are on the rise.

12 Dec 2008

Pregnancy and fertility following bariatric surgery

Women who undergo weight-loss surgery, known as bariatric surgery, and later become pregnant after losing weight may be at lower risk for pregnancy-related diabetes and high blood pressure-- complications that can seriously affect the mother or her baby--than pregnant women who are obese, according to new findings from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality that are published in the November 19 issue of JAMA, the Journal of the American Medical Association.

24 Nov 2008

Pregnancy and fertility following bariatric surgery

Women who undergo weight-loss surgery, known as bariatric surgery, and later become pregnant after losing weight may be at lower risk for pregnancy-related diabetes and high blood pressure - complications that can seriously affect the mother or her baby - than pregnant women who are obese, according to new findings from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality that are published in the November 19 issue of JAMA.

19 Nov 2008

U.S. fails hundreds of thousands of its youngest citizens on the day they are born

The United States is failing hundreds of thousands of its youngest citizens on the day they are born, according to the March of Dimes.

12 Nov 2008

Pregnancy increases risk of acute myocardial infarction

Although acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is rare in women of child-bearing age, pregnancy can increase a woman's risk of heart attack 3- to 4-fold, according to a study published in the July 15, 2008, issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

8 Jul 2008

Possible biological explanation for C-Section-linked allergies and asthma found

Scientists believe they may have identified a biological explanation for the link between cesarean-section delivery and risk of allergy and asthma in childhood. They will present their findings at the American Thoracic Society's 2008 International Conference in Toronto on Tuesday, May 20.

21 May 2008

Over 30% of pregnant American women have C-sections

The proportion of American women having their babies delivered by C-section jumped to nearly one in three in 2005, according to the latest News and Numbers from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

17 Feb 2008

Life around newborn discharge

A landmark nationwide study, published in the journal Pediatrics, is the first ever to prospectively examine the decision-making process of over 4,000 mothers and their physicians around the readiness of mothers and their infants to leave the hospital after childbirth.

6 Aug 2007

True cost of having a baby

For women insured through large employer private plans, the average cost of having a baby in the United States in 2004 was more than $8,000, according to a study released by the March of Dimes Foundation.

14 Jun 2007

Women unaware of health risks of surgical adhesions

Although more than half of the country's women will have some type of pelvic surgery and are therefore at risk for surgical adhesions, a survey released this month by the not-for- profit National Women's Health Resource Center (NWHRC) finds that women are largely unaware of the health risks associated with adhesions.

5 Apr 2007

Guidelines for obstetric anesthesia revised

Recognizing that each patient's labor and delivery experience is unique, the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) Practice Guidelines for Obstetric Anesthesia were recently revised to enhance the quality of anesthetic care for obstetric patients, improve patient safety by reducing the incidence and severity of anesthesia-related complications, and increase patient satisfaction.

2 Apr 2007

Excessive weight gain during pregnancy directly associated with having an overweight child

Pregnant women who gain excessive or even appropriate weight, according to current guidelines, are four times more likely than women who gain inadequate weight to have a baby who becomes overweight in early childhood.

2 Apr 2007

Pregnant women need to know cesareans are risk

Canadian doctors say that pregnant women considering a cesarean section, without a clear medical reason for it, need to know that the procedure is not without risk.

20 Feb 2007