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Cesarean Section pp 223–245Cite as

The Impact of Midwifery Care, Childbirth Preparation, and Labor Support on Cesarean Section Rates

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Part of the book series: Clinical Perspectives in Obstetrics and Gynecology ((CPOG))

Abstract

In 1916, when Dr. Cragin published his paper, which was titled “Conservatism in Obstetrics,” the cesarean section rate was less than 1%.2 Three-quarters of a century later, it has risen dramatically and has, through the intervening years, been the subject of much debate. In 1965 the rate was only 4.5%.3 By 1980 the rate had risen so high that the National Institutes of Health convened a task force to study the topic. When this task force issued its report in 1981, the national rate was 17.6%.4 It has since escalated to 23.5%,5 an increase of 33.5% in 10 years.

The last few years have witnessed the development of radical surgical obstetrics and brilliant the results have been. Long lists of Cesarean sections have been published with little if any mortality, and the indications for the operation have been extended…. The question before us is: Are we in our enthusiasm over radical obstetric surgery neglecting the fundamentals of obstetrics; the routine precautionary methods which may make the resort to radical obstetric surgery unnecessary?1 Edwin B. Cragin

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Authors
  1. Janice R. Goings
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Kaiser Permanente, Southern California Permanente Medical Group, 92505, Riverside, CA, USA

    Bruce L. Flamm M.D. (Research Chairman) (Research Chairman)

  2. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of California-Irvine Medical Center, 92668, Orange, CA, USA

    Edward J. Quilligan M.D. (Professor Emeritus) (Professor Emeritus)

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Goings, J.R. (1995). The Impact of Midwifery Care, Childbirth Preparation, and Labor Support on Cesarean Section Rates. In: Flamm, B.L., Quilligan, E.J. (eds) Cesarean Section. Clinical Perspectives in Obstetrics and Gynecology. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4612-2482-2_16

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4612-2482-2_16

  • Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4612-7556-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4612-2482-2

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