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The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that about one-third of U.S. women giving birth in 2008 delivered via a cesarean section. That number crossed all races and ages.
Cesareans are becoming more popular as mothers today are less likely to have a negative preconception about surgical delivery. The number is also rising as doctors are quicker to okay cesarean sections in order to avoid birth injury law suits, a New York Birth Injury Lawyer reveals.
The National Institutes of Health said just last year that it is safe for women to have a vaginal birth after C-section, known as VBAC, but some hospitals still do not regularly perform them. Classes on VBAC are offered at many hospitals across the country. It is available, but many who had a positive experience with the surgery the first time are likely to want it done on each subsequent surgery.
A Chicago psychiatrist and former president of the American Psychiatric Association says that the demand for C-sections shows how times have changed. Fifty or more years ago, women were much more upset about the procedure because they knew they had a major complication or felt they had failed in some way, she said. Even after a resurgence of support for natural childbirth, a C-section carries no stigma today, showing a definite change in perception and attitude.
Although the change in attitude is good news for women who need C-sections, it also unnecessarily encourages others to undergo potentially risky surgery for nonmedical reasons such as convenience or fear of pain. Women who requested a C-section because they were overwhelmed by their fear of labor pain remain afraid, even though modern medicine means no one has to endure pain, she said.
Professor and Chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, says, “I personally do think there are too many C-sections, and the moms and babies aren’t any better off.”
He advocates for better patient counseling throughout pregnancy. The mother needs to be given adequate information to read over; her questions need to be answered without bias, and she needs to informed if medical advice tells her she may want to think of other options for her labor. Hospitals in Long island and the Bronx pay attention to these questions and procedures in order to avoid labor and delivery negligence.
Birth Injuries are devastating, but the professional help of a NY Birth Injury Attorney can help relieve the added tension of monetary issues. They can help you gain compensation if your child’s birth injuries were the result of a doctor’s bad advice or negligent care. The Office of Stephen Bilkis and Associates can offer you support and guidance as well as a free consultation when you contact us at 1-800-NY-NY-LAW. We have offices in N York City, including Brooklyn, Queens, Manhattan, Staten Island and The Bronx and in Nassau County, Suffolk County and Westchester County.