Shockingly, US maternal deaths are rising. In one of the richest countries in the world, women are dying in childbirth. The blame: obesity and the rising rates of Caesarean sections. The government contends this figure is still small; however, any rise demonstrates another reason why our health care system needs fixed.
According to SF Gate,
"The U.S. maternal mortality rate rose to 13 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2004, according to statistics released this week by the National Center for Health Statistics. The rate was 12 per 100,000 live births in 2003 — the first time the maternal death rate rose above 10 since 1977. To be sure, death from childbirth remains fairly rare in the United States. The death of infants is much more common — the nation's infant mortality rate was 679 per 100,000 live births in 2004.
Maternal deaths were a much more common tragedy long ago. Nearly one in every 100 live births resulted in a mother's death as recently as 90 years ago."
Although these rates are lower than in the past, families suffer beyond imagining when they lose a mother in childbirth. I am ever so thankful for my amazing midwives, who stopped my excessive bleeding after my first child's birth with manual compressions on my uterus. Had I been in the hospital and not at home, who knows if the doctors would have wanted to do a c-section on my slow progressing labor. The c-section rate in this country is now 29 percent. The World Health Organization suggests this Caesarean rate should be 10 to 15 percent in developed countries.
05 September 2007
US Maternal Deaths on the Rise
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I definitely think it also has to do with the fact that you can elect to have a caesarean. My niece's doctor told her he would induce her(early) simply so she could guarantee he would deliver her baby. It resulted in a c-section after 24 hours of labor and the cord was wrapped around the baby's neck. Doctors like this make me sick. Thankfully, they both survived.
I also think doctors are too quick to do a c section in some cases. I found out at my delivery, they had everything ready to do one on me towards the end. With out even talking to me. One was not even needed. It was because they turned up my epidural too high and all I had to do was wait a little for it to wear off. I delivered vaginally.
I had two beautiful fast, easy and completely natural births but I have also had two sections. The first was because my daughter's short cord was wrapped around her throat and she couldn't drop down to fully engage. With that, it took a week for the doctors to figure out why I wasn't progressing in my labor. I can't believe how close I came to losing her and the second one was because I couldn't find a doctor to let me try a vbac. I never even thought of a midwife although I found out later that one lived less than four miles away. :(
However, a very stupid inept doctor totally butchered my sister in law. He let her go three weeks over and refused to induce her. I don't remember exactly what happened, if she was finally induced or if she went into labor naturaly. I do know that it resulted in a section. Dontay was a big baby, weighing in at almost 10 lbs. He had her uterus stretched pretty thin because of it, and the doctor cut her wrong so the uterus didn't heal right. If she tries to have a vbac now, she would most likely bleed to death. The doc also didn't make sure she was properly anesthetized during the procedure so Jamie felt the whole thing.
This whole country makes me sick sometimes. Inept doctors, defunct school systems, and just all around laziness. Recently I heard about natural elimination techniques and in the process of learning more I discovered that we're the only nation that has decided we need size 6 diapers and the age of a child being completely toilet trained is rising.
People are shocked and amazed that my oldest daughter is completely trained and was just after she was two although a lot of that was her wishing to be like her big brothers. They're even more amazed that my youngest daughter is starting to use the toilet at 14 months, and I have her in underwear most of the day. That's mostly just for modesty issues and because it's easier to clean up any accidents.
There are many life-saving, legitimate reasons for c-sections, as you point out. It does concern me that the rate is so high, and they can be dangerous for the mother.
Oh, and I forgot. Having experienced both a natural birth, and a c-section, I can never understand why a woman would deliberately choose to have a section. You might not feel the actual procedure, but it takes much longer to recuperate. It's harder to take care of the little one, especially if you have other children. If you're planning on nursings, it's not easy accepting any pain medications. Plus, you have an ugly scars. It took me over a week to recuperate from my first c-section while I was up walking the same day after my first vaginal birth, and went on a 4 mile hike when the little guy was only 1 week old.
I'm the mother of two children and truthfully, I wanted to have a cesarean done for both births, but my OB kept telling me that it wasn't for the best. Now, aware that the US maternal mortality rate is on the rise, I'm thankful she advised me not to. Who knows what would have happened if even the slightest thing went awry.
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