News is breaking all over the internet today about the drop between 2009 and 2010 in the US cesarean rate, according to the CDC’s latest release of birth statistics in the United States. It is the first time in over a decade the cesarean rate has not increased. Although the drop is small–32.9% to 32.8%–it may signal change in the longstanding trend of increasing surgical births. Also notable was the report’s finding that “The declining pattern from 2009 to 2010 was not consistent across race and Hispanic origin groups, however. Cesarean deliveries were down slightly for non-Hispanic white women….the rate was not significantly changed for non-Hispanic black mothers….but increased among Hispanic mothers.”
To read the full preliminary report from the CDC, click here.
For related articles and discussion, check out these links:
The Unnecesarean’s post on the issue as well as her post with the cesarean rates by state for 2010, which is conveniently laid out in such a way that 2009 rates can be compared easily as well.
US News Health article by Steven Reinberg
