Global C-Section Rates Almost Doubled Worldwide Over 15-Year Span, With Many Countries Overusing Procedure
"The large increases in C-section use – mostly in richer settings for non-medical purposes – are concerning because of the associated risks for women and children," said Marleen Temmerman, an expert who co-led the research. Meanwhile, a House committee will start to investigate the U.S.'s high maternal mortality rates. And a study finds that childbirth is most dangerous for black women.
Reuters:
C-Section Births Rise Rapidly To More Than 20 Percent Worldwide
Rates of caesarean section births almost doubled between 2000 and 2015 – from 12 to 21 percent worldwide - new research has found, with the life-saving surgery unavailable to many women in poor countries while often over-used in richer ones. The research, published in The Lancet medical journal on Thursday, found that 60 percent of countries overuse C-sections and 25 percent under-use them, suggesting that recommendations for their use in cases of medical need are widely ignored. (Kelland, 10/11)
The Hill:
House Committee To Investigate Rising Maternal Mortality Rates
The House Ways & Means Committee will investigate rising maternal mortality rates in the U.S. "With this investigation, we are committed to finding out why these deaths are happening and where Congress can take action to not only prevent these deaths, but also reverse this trend," Republicans on the committee led by Chairman Kevin Brady (R-Texas), said in a statement. While rates of maternal mortality have declined in other industrialized countries, they have dramatically increased in the U.S. since 2000. (Hellmann, 10/11)
Detroit Free Press:
Study: Childbirth Most Dangerous For Black Women
University of Michigan researchers published a new study that will appear in the November issue of the Journal Obstetrics & Gynecology that reveals just how much a woman's risk of developing a life-threatening condition while she's in the hospital for delivery depends on her racial and ethnic background and that patient's underlying health problems. Although a life-threatening complication during childbirth occurred in 1.6 percent of all deliveries included in the study, non-Hispanic black women had a 70-percent higher rate of having a severe birth-related health problem than non-Hispanic white women. (Shamus, 10/11)
And in other women's health news —
The New York Times:
Obesity Tied To Colon Cancer Risk In Younger Women
Obesity is linked to an increased risk for colorectal cancer in younger women, new research has found. Colorectal cancer rates have been increasing in people under 50 while declining in older people. No one knows why. In an observational study published in JAMA Oncology, researchers prospectively tracked the health of more than 85,000 women for 22 years, beginning when they were 25 to 42 years old. They found 114 cases of colorectal cancer in women under 45. (Bakalar, 10/11)
Bloomberg:
Breast Pumping At Work Makes The Gender Pay Gap Worse
For a breastfeeding mom just returning to work, Sarah Madden has what would be considered the best-case scenario. Her employer, the nonprofit Guidestar, has a brand-new Oakland office with a lactation room that the 36-year-old can duck into whenever she has to pump. The ability to video chat limits her need to travel. And, she describes her co-workers as generally accepting. Yet, just a couple months back from maternity leave, Madden can already see the “longer-term consequences” breastfeeding can have on her career. (Greenfield, 10/12)
