The Orange County Register released an article online today reporting that cesareans are on the rise in the California county, according to the county’s Health Care Agency’s recently released report, entitled, “Complications in Pregnancy and Childbirth in Orange County,” which includes an analysis of data from hospitals in the county. The article discusses the increased costs associated with surgical births, not only from delivery but from longer hospital stays for mothers recovering from surgery. According to the article, the average cesarean delivery costs $20,228, while a vaginal delivery runs about $11, 114. Healthcare costs may rise dramatically along with the number of cesareans. The article also discloses the hospital with the highest cesarean rate–Coastal Communities Hospital in Santa Ana at 43%–and the lowest rate, La Palma Intercommunity at 26.6%. Interestingly, the report states that “. . . other non-medical factors may be responsible for the higher incidence of cesarean deliveries in this city.” There is also a brief discussion in the article of VBACs in Orange County, including the fact that only 1% of deliveries in the county are VBACs.
To read the report in its entirety, click here.
One Response
I live in the OC and sadly I am not surprised. While some great hospitals in the area are trying to do better, most are not baby friendly nor are the doctors birth friendly.