Cesarean Mortality Statistics 
& Hospital Use Information

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Interventive obstetrics is directly associated with 4 to 6 times more cesareans than physiological management. While cesareans surgery is safer now than ever before, it is still many times more risky than vaginal births.

Ratio of Deaths per 100,000 women

Spontaneous Vaginal Birth:	..6 deaths	1 per 16,666 deliveries
Auto Accidents:	20 deaths	1 per 5,000 women 14-34
Most Dangerous Occupation:	22 deaths	cab drivers NYC
Breast Cancer:	26 deaths	1 per 3,846 women Dx
Cesarean Section:	31 deaths	1 per 3,225 surgeries

The Wisdom of Cesarean Prevention Strategies

Cesarean surgeries are directly associated with increased rates of maternal mortality. This means that out of 4.5 million births last year (1997), a CS rate of 24% resulted in the death of approximately 341 new mothers from the complications of cesarean surgery, compared to only 270 maternal deaths for vaginal birth, -- 20% more deaths for the 1/4 of the mothers delivered by section that the 3/4 quarters who gave birth vaginally. Quite clearly, preventing unnecessary cesarean surgeries prevents maternal mortality.

Physiological management prevents cesarean surgeries. Prevention of medically-unnecessary reproductive surgeries also increases opportunities for valuable maternal-child interaction during the postpartum, promotes family bonding and wellbeing, increases the rate of successful breastfeeding and reduces the cost of maternity care.

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Hospital Profit Margin

Materntiy care -- 38 cents profit on the dollar
Cardiac Surgery -- 5 cents on the dollar

#1 Discharge diagnoses of patients
admitted to California hospitals in 1992:

"Normal Childbirth is #1"

TOTAL DISCHARGES ..........................ALL DRGS: 3,700,244
TOTAL Maternity-related hospital discharges: 1,055,569
(total number of hospital births: 495,581)