<a 
href="http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/ArticleNews/TPStory/LAC/2004091
0/HBIRTH10/TPHealth/">Natural birth no longer the norm in Canada</a>

The Globe and Mail

A new study shows that three quarters of the nation's births involve
surgical interventions, which may be overused in some regions and
inaccessible in others, writes ANDRÉ PICARD

Friday, September 10, 2004 - Page A15

"When Gillian Brouse learned she was pregnant earlier this year, her
obstetrician immediately suggested a scheduled cesarean section. Despite an
earlier surgery to remove uterine fibroids, which placed her at higher risk
of complications, she declined. When labour began last Friday, Ms. Brouse
was again offered the option of a cesarean. She said no. But she was
equipped with a fetal monitor and agreed to surgical induction, the breaking
of her water, to speed up the birthing process. Two hours later, her
daughter Cléo was born at the Ottawa Hospital. 'In the end, it was a short,
uneventful labour,' Ms. Brouse said in an interview. Cléo's arrival into the
world, surrounded by technology and omnipresent surgical options, was also
typical. 

In fact, three in four births in Canada now involve some form of surgical
intervention: C-sections, epidurals, forceps, vacuum extraction and
episiotomies are all commonplace, according to a new report from the
Canadian Institute for Health Information...."

[This study is receiving a lot of attention in Canada, with regional news
outlets reporting local statistics. André Picard has done a good job of
highlighting the overall rate of intervention and questioning the wide
regional variances. What's missing are statistics on whether or not outcomes
also vary by region, and a discussion of the costs of interventions. - JC]

The study can be found at:

http://secure.cihi.ca/cihiweb/dispPage.jsp?cw_page=PG_306_E&cw_topic=306&cw_
rel=AR_1106_E

-- Jodine Chase
This item is also up on my breastfeeding news weblog at
http://www.bfnews.blogspot.com 

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