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Published On January 15, 2013
CLINICAL RESEARCH
Born This Way
The popularity of C-sections is on the rise.
0
Number of cesarean (or “C”) sections likely undergone by Julius Caesar’s mother, who survived his birth to see his triumphs at a time when the procedure was performed only on the dead or dying (the word may actually come from the Latin caedere, “to cut”)
15
“Optimal” maximum C-section percentage rate set by the World Health Organization in 1985; the WHO has since modified the recommendation, stating in 2009 that “the optimum rate is unknown” but that “both very low and very high rates of cesarean section can be dangerous”
32.8
Percentage of U.S. births by C-section in 2010; common medical reasons include breech positioning, previous C-section, stalled labor and the placenta blocking the cervix
60
Percentage increase in U.S. C-section deliveries from 1996 to 2009
46
Percentage of births that occur by C-section in China, one-quarter of which have no medical basis
20
Percentage of C-sections necessitated by failed attempts to induce labor in first-time mothers, according to one study
$13,400
Average amount charged by Massachusetts hospitals for a C-section, compared with $9,700 for an uncomplicated vaginal delivery
$50 million
Estimated amount saved annually in Utah after the Intermountain Healthcare hospital system banned labor inductions that had no medical reason; the savings were attributed to a drop in resulting C-section rates
Dispatches
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The Autoimmune Whodunnit Autoimmune diseases are on the rise. The hunt is on to find their causes—including bacteria that may trigger the body to pick a fight with itself.
How Do You Measure Mindfulness? A calmer brain can lead to a healthier body. Researchers are beginning to pinpoint just where those benefits are coming from.
A Corner Turned for Crohn’s Disease? A milestone vaccine will soon move forward in clinical trials. But does its target—the MAP bacterium—actually play a role in the condition?
The New Vaccines: A Visual Primer More than a hundred COVID-19 vaccines are in development, and many use new technologies never tried on a grand scale. Here’s how each is supposed to work.
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