Morning Briefing

"A new study suggests that at least one surgical procedure, caesarean delivery, is a highly effective way of improving health at a reasonable cost in developing countries," VOA News reports (Chimes, 4/27). "In 2011, pregnancy-related complications resulted in an estimated 273,500 maternal deaths globally, or close to 775 deaths per day," according to the study, which notes, "Ninety-nine percent of maternal deaths occur in developing countries" (Alkire et al., 4/25). "One of the most common" causes of maternal deaths "is obstructed labor, where the fetus cannot move down the birth canal," VOA writes. Harvard Medical School researcher Blake Alkire "notes that deaths from obstructed labor are virtually unknown in wealthier countries," where women "almost always have the option of a caesarean birth," according to the news service.