The Nation : Caesareans Questioned

Two new studies provide evidence that electronic fetal monitoring and Caesarean delivery are not significantly improving the health of infants. A study of nearly 35,000 births in Dallas found that routine use of continuous electronic monitoring of the fetal heart rate led to an increase in Caesarean deliveries but no major improvement in the health of babies, said doctors at University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. A study of more than 65,000 births at four Brooklyn hospitals found that private physicians performed “significantly more” Caesarean deliveries than doctors in hospital clinics, without “demonstrably improving” the outcome for most babies, said researchers at State University of New York.