HI folks, 

The Washington Post published a rather hideous article, Caesarean Births Hit 
High Mark: A Quarter of Babies Delivered Surgically  on Monday, December 16, 
2002 - on the front page. 

The full article can be found at:
<http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A59520-2002Dec15.html>
            
I immediately sent in a Letter-to-the-Editor.  I don’t believe they are 
publishing it, but I thought you’d like to see it.  It may come in handy if 
find yourself needing to respond to an article like this.

12/17/02
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Dear Editor,

Your article, Caesarean Births Hit High Mark (Front page, Dec. 16, 2002) 
discusses the advantages of a caesarean birth, yet fails to address many of 
the serious medical risks associated with the procedure.

Of C-section mothers, 20-40% experience medical complications. Mothers who 
have caesarean births are more likely to have a negative birth experience 
resulting in a higher risk for postpartum depression and lack of mother-baby 
interaction, setting the stage for future attachment disorders.  And 
frightening is that the maternal mortality rate for a Caesarean delivery is 
fully four times higher than that of vaginal birth. 

But perhaps the most overlooked risk of Caesarean delivery is its negative 
impact on breastfeeding. Several aspects of this procedure inhibit 
breastfeeding.  Introduction to nursing after a C-section is often delayed by 
24 hours - the longer the delay, the higher risk that breastfeeding will 
fail. During this period, the infants are more likely to receive formula and 
glucose water.  Such exposure to bottles, artificial nipples, formula and 
water often leads to breastfeeding problems.  Because the babies are exposed 
to high levels of anesthesia (floppy babies, as they have come to be known), 
they encounter difficulty latching on.  Studies show mothers who deliver via 
C-section have lower rates of breastfeeding initiation and duration than 
mothers who deliver vaginally.  This outcome poses significant health risks 
for both mother and baby.  

Breastfeeding conveys dramatic positive health effects for both child and 
mother.  For the child, breastfeeding has been found to decrease the risk of 
infectious disease, chronic disease (including diabetes, asthma, and 
gastro-intestinal syndromes), cancer, and significantly reduces SIDS.  Its 
benefits include improved vision and dental health, higher intelligence and 
improved behavior. Not as well known are the benefits for the mother, 
including improved postpartum recovery, decreased ovarian cancers and 
reductions in osteoporosis and breast cancer.  And, in fact, the healthcare 
costs to this country from artificial infant feeding surpass $7 billion 
annually.

Advances in medical technology have made C-sections a much safer procedure 
today than in the past.  But every measure should be taken to educate women 
to the risks of the procedure and the negative impact it has on maternal and 
child health.  Let us not normalize an invasive procedure meant to save 
lives.

Dia L. Michels
Editor, Breastfeeding Annual International 2001

627 A Street, NE
Washington, DC  20002
202-547-3598 / 202-546-2356-fax
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