Due Date

Not only has the nation's high level of C-sections finally stopped rising, but more of the operations are taking place closer to the mother's due date, a new government report found.Figures released Thursday show what appears to be a significant shift in when pregnant women have cesarean sections. Experts called the change great news - apparent evidence that doctors and women have absorbed warnings about the risks of C-sections and the importance of waiting to deliver until the baby is full-term."People are getting the message," said Dr. Barbara Stoll, an Emory University specialist in the care of newborns.A C-section is major surgery with risks of infection and, in very rare cases, death. Recovery time is longer than with a vaginal delivery. And the babies can be more likely to have breathing difficulties and other medical problems.For decades, the operations were done in only a small fraction of births, usually only when a fetus was in danger. In 1970, the U.S. rate was 5 percent of ...

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