Comments on: Early, Elective Caesarean Sections Lead to Greater Health Risk for Newborns http://www.ourbodiesourblog.org/blog/2009/01/babies-delivered-by-early-elective-caesarean-section-are-at-greater-risk-for-health-problems Daily dose of women's health news and media analysis Wed, 08 Feb 2012 16:46:25 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: MM http://www.ourbodiesourblog.org/blog/2009/01/babies-delivered-by-early-elective-caesarean-section-are-at-greater-risk-for-health-problems/comment-page-1#comment-4776 MM Thu, 08 Sep 2011 18:19:53 +0000 http://www.ourbodiesourblog.org/?p=3263#comment-4776 "The focus is often on class and choices made by wealthy white women, despite the fact that African American women over age 35 have the highest caesarean rate in the United States." This is a poor choice of words in my opinion. The implication is that these African American women are obviously low(er) class... "the focus is on class...despite the fact...African American". The assumption that they are lower class is apparently based on their race. Hopefully this was not intentional; I presume it was not. I'm just curious; what percentage of pregnancies are actually African American women over age 35? This article makes a point of noting that this group has the highest caesarean rate, but gives little (no) other information to evaluate this. How high is the rate? How much higher is it than the rates of other ages/races? What are the other influencing factors? Based on the data I've seen from the NCHS, it would appear that this group makes up only about 1.5% percent of all births (about 63,000 of more than 4.1 million births in 2009). I would call that statistically insignificant. I only skimmed the NEJM article and results analysis, but I didn't see anything that specifically identified groups by the combined variables of age and race. Please provide more info. “The focus is often on class and choices made by wealthy white women, despite the fact that African American women over age 35 have the highest caesarean rate in the United States.”
This is a poor choice of words in my opinion. The implication is that these African American women are obviously low(er) class… “the focus is on class…despite the fact…African American”. The assumption that they are lower class is apparently based on their race. Hopefully this was not intentional; I presume it was not.
I’m just curious; what percentage of pregnancies are actually African American women over age 35? This article makes a point of noting that this group has the highest caesarean rate, but gives little (no) other information to evaluate this. How high is the rate? How much higher is it than the rates of other ages/races? What are the other influencing factors?
Based on the data I’ve seen from the NCHS, it would appear that this group makes up only about 1.5% percent of all births (about 63,000 of more than 4.1 million births in 2009). I would call that statistically insignificant.
I only skimmed the NEJM article and results analysis, but I didn’t see anything that specifically identified groups by the combined variables of age and race. Please provide more info.

]]> By: Margie http://www.ourbodiesourblog.org/blog/2009/01/babies-delivered-by-early-elective-caesarean-section-are-at-greater-risk-for-health-problems/comment-page-1#comment-1036 Margie Tue, 03 Mar 2009 01:51:16 +0000 http://www.ourbodiesourblog.org/?p=3263#comment-1036 Kiki addressed one of my points. What about not being in shape. Many slender to average size women are out-of-shape. Our society is pretty sedentary. I wonder what the stats look like for women who do some type of pre-natal workout on a regular basis and those who do not. Secondly, along with weight issues some suffer other diseases. Not always, but sometimes there is diabetes, high blood pressure and other heart and circulatory health concerns. Kiki addressed one of my points. What about not being in shape. Many slender to average size women are out-of-shape. Our society is pretty sedentary. I wonder what the stats look like for women who do some type of pre-natal workout on a regular basis and those who do not.

Secondly, along with weight issues some suffer other diseases. Not always, but sometimes there is diabetes, high blood pressure and other heart and circulatory health concerns.

]]> By: Kiki http://www.ourbodiesourblog.org/blog/2009/01/babies-delivered-by-early-elective-caesarean-section-are-at-greater-risk-for-health-problems/comment-page-1#comment-1034 Kiki Mon, 02 Mar 2009 20:22:11 +0000 http://www.ourbodiesourblog.org/?p=3263#comment-1034 In response to Margie's comment: despite many providers' beliefs, being overweight in and of itself is NOT a reason to have a cesarean. See <a href="http://www.ourbodiesourselves.org/book/companion.asp?id=21&compID=125" onclick="pageTracker._trackPageview('/outgoing/www.ourbodiesourselves.org/book/companion.asp?id=21_compID=125&referer=http://www.ourbodiesourblog.org/wp-content/plugins/wp-ajax-edit-comments/php/comment-editor.php?action=editcomment&p=3263&c=1034&KeepThis=true&');" rel="nofollow">Women of Size and Cesarean Sections: Tips for Avoiding Unnecessary Surgery</a> for more info. In response to Margie’s comment: despite many providers’ beliefs, being overweight in and of itself is NOT a reason to have a cesarean. See Women of Size and Cesarean Sections: Tips for Avoiding Unnecessary Surgery for more info.

]]> By: Margie http://www.ourbodiesourblog.org/blog/2009/01/babies-delivered-by-early-elective-caesarean-section-are-at-greater-risk-for-health-problems/comment-page-1#comment-1033 Margie Mon, 02 Mar 2009 16:40:07 +0000 http://www.ourbodiesourblog.org/?p=3263#comment-1033 I wonder how the weight of the mother and the physical condition she is in in regard to c-sections. As we know, a lot of Americans are over-weight and out-of-shape. I wonder how the weight of the mother and the physical condition she is in in regard to c-sections. As we know, a lot of Americans are over-weight and out-of-shape.

]]> By: Jennifer http://www.ourbodiesourblog.org/blog/2009/01/babies-delivered-by-early-elective-caesarean-section-are-at-greater-risk-for-health-problems/comment-page-1#comment-1030 Jennifer Sat, 28 Feb 2009 20:39:16 +0000 http://www.ourbodiesourblog.org/?p=3263#comment-1030 This study only included REPEAT elective C-sections, not all elective sections. This blog article incorrectly identifies that in the first paragraph. There is a major difference between delivering by section electively for the first time and delivering by section electively for the second or third time. While I agree that the overall rate of c-sections in this country is way too high, it is incorrect to apply the results of this study to all elective c-sections (including the roughly 20-percent of them that are performed on first time mothers). This study only included REPEAT elective C-sections, not all elective sections. This blog article incorrectly identifies that in the first paragraph. There is a major difference between delivering by section electively for the first time and delivering by section electively for the second or third time.

While I agree that the overall rate of c-sections in this country is way too high, it is incorrect to apply the results of this study to all elective c-sections (including the roughly 20-percent of them that are performed on first time mothers).

]]> By: Kiki http://www.ourbodiesourblog.org/blog/2009/01/babies-delivered-by-early-elective-caesarean-section-are-at-greater-risk-for-health-problems/comment-page-1#comment-951 Kiki Tue, 03 Feb 2009 15:22:58 +0000 http://www.ourbodiesourblog.org/?p=3263#comment-951 Jennifer Block has a <a href="http://www.rhrealitycheck.org/blog/2009/01/21/can-we-please-stop-blaming-women-csections" rel="nofollow">great entry</a> over at RHReality on the myth of elective cesarean. Jennifer Block has a great entry over at RHReality on the myth of elective cesarean.

]]> By: Christine C. http://www.ourbodiesourblog.org/blog/2009/01/babies-delivered-by-early-elective-caesarean-section-are-at-greater-risk-for-health-problems/comment-page-1#comment-896 Christine C. Mon, 12 Jan 2009 21:55:05 +0000 http://www.ourbodiesourblog.org/?p=3263#comment-896 In response to Heather's question, I looked up the NICHD, which all 19 hospitals used in the study above participate in, and found this study about vbacs: http://journal.medscape.com/viewarticle/573948_2 This would seem to indicate that none of the hospitals have a vbac ban, if that helps. In response to Heather’s question, I looked up the NICHD, which all 19 hospitals used in the study above participate in, and found this study about vbacs: http://journal.medscape.com/viewarticle/573948_2

This would seem to indicate that none of the hospitals have a vbac ban, if that helps.

]]> By: mrs spock http://www.ourbodiesourblog.org/blog/2009/01/babies-delivered-by-early-elective-caesarean-section-are-at-greater-risk-for-health-problems/comment-page-1#comment-895 mrs spock Mon, 12 Jan 2009 20:30:07 +0000 http://www.ourbodiesourblog.org/?p=3263#comment-895 There are certain circumstances where avoiding a trial of labor in a repeat c-section has benefits that outweigh the risks (I'm thinking of a complete previa here), but none of the women in this study meet that criteria. Why on earth are these OBs doing them, then? There are certain circumstances where avoiding a trial of labor in a repeat c-section has benefits that outweigh the risks (I’m thinking of a complete previa here), but none of the women in this study meet that criteria. Why on earth are these OBs doing them, then?

]]> By: MomTFH http://www.ourbodiesourblog.org/blog/2009/01/babies-delivered-by-early-elective-caesarean-section-are-at-greater-risk-for-health-problems/comment-page-1#comment-891 MomTFH Sat, 10 Jan 2009 05:44:26 +0000 http://www.ourbodiesourblog.org/?p=3263#comment-891 That is an important question, Heather. A large amount of cesareans are repeat cesareans, and they want to schedule them early to avoid any trial of labor. That plus an unsure due date and an inaccurate ultrasound may lead to a baby that's delivered five weeks early. That is an important question, Heather. A large amount of cesareans are repeat cesareans, and they want to schedule them early to avoid any trial of labor. That plus an unsure due date and an inaccurate ultrasound may lead to a baby that’s delivered five weeks early.

]]> By: Heather http://www.ourbodiesourblog.org/blog/2009/01/babies-delivered-by-early-elective-caesarean-section-are-at-greater-risk-for-health-problems/comment-page-1#comment-888 Heather Fri, 09 Jan 2009 12:19:47 +0000 http://www.ourbodiesourblog.org/?p=3263#comment-888 Just wondering how many of these hospitals studied had bans on vaginal births after caesarian? Just wondering how many of these hospitals studied had bans on vaginal births after caesarian?

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