U.S. C-Section Rate Reaches All-Time High

NY Times: Cesarean Births Are at an All Time High in U.S, by Denise Grady:

The Cesarean section rate in the United States reached 32 percent in 2007, the country’s highest rate ever, health officials are reporting....

The increases have caused debate and concern for years. When needed, a Cesarean can save the mother and child from injury or death, but most experts doubt that one in three women needs surgery to give birth. Critics say the operation is being performed too often, needlessly exposing mothers and babies to the risks of major surgery. The ideal rate is not known, but the World Health Organization and health agencies in the United States have suggested 15 percent....