Why Cesearan Sections Are on the Rise

Many pregnant women anticipate the birth of their children with a combination of excitement and anxiety. These feelings are normal and most women who have given birth can relate to them. However, many women are fearful about what awaits them in the maternity ward. Will they have a long, drawn-out labor? Will there be a lot of pain involved? Will they require a c-section?

For many hospitals, maternity care is the bread and butter of their bottom line. Maternity care makes up the majority of a hospital’s profits in most cases. In the nine months that she is pregnant, a women will undergo a litany of diagnostic tests, prenatal visits, screenings and routine checkups. These things are necessary to ensure the health of the baby. But nowhere does the hospital earn more money than in the performing of c-section births. A cesearean, or c-section is a type of birth wherein the child is surgically removed from the mother’s uterus. In this procedure, the mother is given an epidural, which is a medication inserted into the spine to block the pain receptors of her lower body. In most cases, the woman is awake for the procedure, and can interact with the doctors and nurses present in the delivery room.

In some cases, the mother is given general anesthesia and is asleep for the entire procedure. General anesthesia is usually given in an emergency or when epidural anesthesia cannot be used.  A c-section birth requires a surgeon’s expertise, and the entire operation usually takes less than an hour to perform. In contrast, a natural vaginal birth can take anywhere from hours to  days between the time the mother is admitted and the actual birth.

A natural, uncomplicated, vaginal birth usually costs the mother or her health insurer about $2,500 in most hospitals. A c-section can cost up to $35,000. This represents a huge profit margin for the hospital. In addition, a c-section usually carries less risk to the baby, resulting in decreased liability for the hospital.

C-section births can be very taxing on the mother’s body, causing her scarring, extended recovery time and the inability to deliver vaginally in the future. In addition, the mother may be traumatized by the procedure and feel a loss of control over the process of her child’s birth.

C-sections are big business for hospitals and bad business for moms and babies.

 

Alison Moxley is a freelance writer and an avid researcher. When she is not writing, she spends her time reading and pursuing her academic goals.