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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Feb 11, 2026

External Cephalic Version: Is it an Effective and Safe Procedure?
08:49

External Cephalic Version: Is it an Effective and Safe Procedure?

Published on: June 6, 2020

15.9K

"Doing something" about the cesarean delivery rate.

Steven L Clark1, Thomas J Garite1, Emily F Hamilton1

  • 1Baylor College of Medicine, Houston TX; University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA; McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada; University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX.

American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology
|May 8, 2018
PubMed
Summary

The high cesarean delivery rate in the US is driven by patient expectations, legal pressures, and technological limits, not solely physician practices. Current guidelines may be ineffective in reducing cesarean births.

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Area of Science:

  • Obstetrics and Gynecology
  • Maternal-Fetal Medicine

Background:

  • A high cesarean delivery rate in the United States is a significant concern.
  • Physician practice patterns are often cited as the primary cause.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To analyze the multifactorial drivers of the US cesarean delivery rate.
  • To evaluate the effectiveness of current guidelines in addressing cesarean delivery rates.

Main Methods:

  • Review of American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) guidelines and consensus statements.
  • Analysis of external factors influencing cesarean delivery decisions.

Main Results:

  • Cesarean delivery rates are influenced by patient expectations, the medical-legal system, and technological limitations.
Keywords:
cesarean delivery ratelabor arrestvaginal birth after cesarean

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Feb 11, 2026

External Cephalic Version: Is it an Effective and Safe Procedure?
08:49

External Cephalic Version: Is it an Effective and Safe Procedure?

Published on: June 6, 2020

15.9K
  • Arbitrary adherence to time limits for labor arrest and evolving vaginal birth after cesarean standards may be ineffective.
  • Current cesarean delivery rates are a predictable outcome of demographic, geographic, and social forces.

    • Conclusions:

    • Efforts to reduce cesarean delivery rates through marginally evidence-based directives may be ineffective and potentially harmful.
    • Significant changes in the US cesarean delivery rate are unlikely without technological advancements or shifts in societal forces.