Michigan hospitals are attempting to reduce the number of unnecessary C-section deliveries, a reduction associated with healthier babies and a lower risk of birth injuries.
The project is the work of the Michigan Health and Hospital Association Keystone obstetrics department. Implementing changes in Michigan hospital birthing procedures, it discourages elective or C-section births unless it is for medically necessary reasons. These include situations such as chronic disease, a mother carrying multiple babies or if the baby is small and developing slowly.
With about 65 hospitals participating, almost every birthing center in the state is on board.
The main emphasis of the project is education. It attempts to show women the advantages of waiting for natural birth, and eliminates many C-section births with the use of labor-inducing drugs after the 39th week as well as pain-relieving drugs and counseling during labor.
From March 2010 to March 2011, elective C-sections before the 39th week dropped from 24 percent to 6 percent, and the use of labor-inducing drugs dropped from 20 percent to 7 percent.
Dr. Charles Cash, the one who initiated the program, says he hopes to lower the national percentage of overall C-section births from 32 percent to 17 percent.
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