Health and Welfare for Families in the 21st Century

• Publisher: Elsevier Science
• Year: 1999
• Weight: 47 KB
• Volume: 44
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0091-2182
• DOI: 10.1016/s0091-2182(99)00066-x

✦ Synopsis

among dystocias, cephalopelvic disproportion, breech presentation, and nonreassuring fetal heart tracings (1,4). Midwifery practice has an estimated overall cesarean rate that is below national goals-11.6% for hospital and birth centers deliveries between 1991 and 1993, in one analysis. Although midwifery clients' overall low-risk status may, in part, account for lower incidences of cesarean birth, another notable factor may be their desire to avoid procedures such as continuous electronic fetal monitoring and epidural anesthesia (5).

The need to reduce safely the number of cesarean births is not disputed. Midwifery care contributes to a reduction in the rate of primary cesarean delivery by supporting normal processes of labor and advocating nonintervention. Women who are attended by midwives are less likely to require a cesarean section (5).