Cesarean Section News and Research

Latest Cesarean Section News and Research

Antibiotics can reduce infections post-Caesarean section

Having a baby by Caesarean section is becoming increasingly common, despite the higher risks associated with the surgery compared to a vaginal birth. One important concern is the risk of infection, which is between five and 20 times greater for women who undergo scheduled or emergency Caesarean section.

20 Jan 2010

Sepsis, a serious infection, remains a major threat to 'late preterm' infants

Sepsis is a serious infection that is a major cause of death in very premature infants. But sepsis is also a threat in "late preterm" infants born just a few weeks prematurely, according to a study in the December issue of The Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal. The journal is published by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, a part of Wolters Kluwer Health, a leading provider of information and business intelligence for students, professionals, and institutions in medicine, nursing, allied health, and pharmacy.

3 Dec 2009

MRI can identify placenta accreta in pregnant women, reveals study

A study presented today at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) revealed that MRI is a highly accurate means of identifying placenta accreta, a potentially life-threatening and increasingly common condition that is the leading cause of death for women just before and after giving birth.

1 Dec 2009

Analysts urge Democrats to tailor health reform pitch to women

Politico reports that provisions addressing women's concerns about health care may help Democrats build public support for their overhaul plans and grease the passage of a bill.

19 Oct 2009

Study reveals disproportionately higher rate of primary c-sections among African-American women

A study released by Kaiser Permanente indicates that while the rate of cesarean-section (CS) deliveries for first-time moms has continued to increase over the last ten years, there is a disproportionately higher rate of primary c-sections among African-American women.

3 Oct 2009

Treatment of gestational diabetes benefits both infant and mother

A National Institutes of Health network study provided the first conclusive evidence that treating pregnant women who have even the mildest form of gestational diabetes can reduce the risk of common birth complications among infants, as well as blood pressure disorders among mothers.

1 Oct 2009

Symposium on ways to lower preterm birth rate

Journalists are invited to attend a gathering of the nation's leading maternal-child and quality assurance health care experts who will review and develop programs that may help lower the nation's costly preterm birth rate.

26 Sep 2009

Anesthesia not harmful for babies during birth process

Mayo Clinic researchers have found that children exposed to anesthesia during Cesarean section are not at any higher risk for learning disabilities later in life than children not delivered by C-section. These findings are reported in the current issue of the journal Anesthesiology.

28 Jul 2009

Adding a drug called neostigmine to epidural analgesia reduces dose needed during labor

Adding a drug called neostigmine to epidural analgesia during labor can reduce the amount of anesthetic drug required, while avoiding potential complications caused by morphine-like "opioid" drugs, according to a study in the August issue of Anesthesia & Analgesia, official journal of the International Anesthesia Research Society (IARS).

27 Jul 2009

Obesity increases risk of complications in pregnancy

Expectant mothers who are obese are much more likely to suffer from minor complications such as heart burn and chest infections during pregnancy, a study suggests.

16 Jul 2009

Local anaesthetic reduces need for painkillers post-Caesarean section

Giving a local anaesthetic during a Caesarean section helps manage pain after the operation and can reduce consumption of painkillers, according to Cochrane Researchers. The researchers recommend local anaesthetics as part of integrated pain management strategies for Caesarean section operations, provided that consideration is given to the cost.

7 Jul 2009

Local anaesthetic during a Caesarean section reduces need for painkillers post-op

7 Jul 2009

Women with cystic fibrosis can have safe and successful fertility treatment

Women with cystic fibrosis can have fertility treatment to help them have babies without any long-term adverse effects on either themselves or their children, according to new research presented at the 25th annual meeting of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology in Amsterdam today (Tuesday).

30 Jun 2009

Epigenetic modulation at birth - altered DNA-methylation in white blood cells after Caesarean section

Swedish researchers have discovered that babies born by Caesarean section experience changes to the DNA pool in their white blood cells, which could be connected to altered stress levels during this method of delivery, according to the July issue of Acta Paediatrica.

30 Jun 2009

Woman's placenta new source for harvesting stem cells

A groundbreaking study conducted by Children's Hospital & Research Center Oakland is the first to reveal a new avenue for harvesting stem cells from a woman's placenta, or more specifically the discarded placentas of healthy newborns.

23 Jun 2009

Urologist reports success using robot-assisted surgery for rare condition

Robot-assisted surgery can be used to successfully repair abnormal openings between the uterus and the bladder, according to a report by Ashok K. Hemal, M.D., a Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center urologist who is the world's most experienced surgeon in the procedure.

23 Jun 2009

Researcher looks for link between gene and pregnancy weight gain

Even before last week’s release of revised pregnancy weight-gain guidelines, a researcher at the University of Rochester School of Nursing was studying why certain women gain more pounds than others and searching for ways to help them maintain healthy weights.

13 Jun 2009

Los Angeles Times examines increase in Caesarean births, related rise in risk, cost

Caesarean sections -- which are performed in 31% of births, up from 4.5% in 1965 -- often are considered an unnecessary risk and "an example of how the intensive and expensive U.S. brand of medicine has failed to deliver better results and may, in fact, be doing more harm than good," the Los Angeles Times reports.

19 May 2009

Women with epilepsy should avoid taking the drug valproate during pregnancy

New guidelines developed by the American Academy of Neurology and the American Epilepsy Society show it's relatively safe for women with epilepsy to become pregnant, but caution must be taken, including avoiding one particular epilepsy drug that can cause birth defects.

27 Apr 2009

Births by Cesarean section rose by more than 40 percent in 10 years

The percentage of pregnant women undergoing a repeat Cesarean section (C-section) delivery jumped from 65 percent to 90 percent between 1997 and 2006, according to the latest News and Numbers from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

16 Apr 2009