Research and resources for perinatal professionals.
April 05, 2023 | by: Sharon Muza, BS, CD/BDT(DONA), LCCE, FACCE, CLE
April is Cesarean Awareness Month, an annual observance in the United States and around the world that brings focus to the extremely high number of cesarean deliveries in many areas of the globe. In 2021, the most recent year for full statistics, the cesarean rate in the United States was 32.1%. This is up one full percentage point from the 2020 statistics, and the second yearly increase in a row, after two years of declining in 2018 and 2019. Black birthing parents have the highest cesarean birth rate of all US populations, with 36.8% of Black parents having a surgical birth.
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November 16, 2022 | by: Sharon Muza, BS, LCCE, FACCE, CD/BDT(DONA), CLE
Tranexamic acid is a medication that is being used with more frequency to resolve postpartum hemorrhage due to its effective ability to control bleeding post-birth. This life saving medication is a welcome tool and is being used globally to help save the lives of birthing people. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recently published a special report that brought up a concerning and tragic issue as the use of tranexamic acid has increased.
April 27, 2022 | by: Sharon Muza, BS, LCCE, FACCE, CD/BDT(DONA), CLE
This month’s Brilliant Activities for Birth Educators activity is aligned with Cesarean Awareness Month, which is observed annually in April. It is short and to the point, and helps families identify the cesarean rates of their chosen birth location. With this information, families can have conversations with their health care providers about how to avoid a cesarean that is not medically necessary.
October 21, 2021 | by: Sharon Muza, BS, LCCE, FACCE, CD/BDT(DONA), CLE
The number of cesarean deliveries in the United States has hovered around 32% in the past decade. Cesarean birth is easily documented and the numbers are a benchmark for birth outcomes and best practice. Cesarean delivery by maternal request (CDMR), on the other hand, is very hard to quantify. It is hard to capture exactly how many cesareans are performed at the request of the pregnant parent. Difficulties in estimating the prevalence of CDMR has been attributed to the lack of an International Classification of Diseases (ICD) code for CDMR and to documentation inconsistencies that are recorded.
July 07, 2021 | by: Sharon Muza, BS, LCCE, FACCE, CD/BDT(DONA), CLE
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, in collaboration with the Society for Maternal Fetal Medicine, recently updated their recommendations on the timing of medically indicated late-preterm and early-term deliveries. The recommendations are based on placental, fetal and maternal complications. Late-preterm or early term refers to a delivery before 39 weeks and 0 days gestation.
July 30, 2019 | by: Henci Goer, BA
“To VBAC or not to VBAC” continues to be the question. “Mode of delivery after a previous cesarean birth, and associated maternal and neonatal morbidity,” a recent analysis of Canadian national data between 2003 and 2014, compared maternal and neonatal mortality and morbidity after planned vaginal birth after cesarean (VBAC ) versus repeat cesarean and concluded (Young 2018): “Although absolute rates of adverse outcomes are low, attempted vaginal birth after cesarean delivery continues to be associated with higher relative rates of severe morbidity and mortality in mothers and infants.” However, things aren’t always as they appear to be at first glance. Let’s take a closer look.
January 04, 2019 | by: Sharon Muza, BS, LCCE, FACCE, CD/BDT(DONA), CLE
Research showed that people birthing in facilities with both midwives and doctors on staff were less likely to be induced, less likely to have their labor augmented with pitocin, less likely to have a cesarean, and more likely to have a successful vaginal birth after cesarean.
August 16, 2018 | by: Sharon Muza, BS, LCCE, FACCE, CD/BDT(DONA), CLE
Neel Shah, MD, MMP shares his thoughts on the ARRIVE Trial. Dr. Shah is recognized as an innovative leader in maternal-infant health and a well-respected expert on effective methods for reducing the cesarean rate in the U.S.
August 14, 2018 | by: Henci Goer, BA
Henci Goer examines the just-released ARRIVE Trial to determine if there is new information compared to the study abstract that raises more questions or answers the old ones? What should birth professionals understand and share with consumers about the evidence to induce at 39 weeks?
June 22, 2018 | by: Sharon Muza, BS, LCCE, FACCE, CD/BDT(DONA), CLE
The California Health Care Foundation (CHCF), California Maternal Quality Care Collaborative (CMQCC), and Consumer Reports have partnered to develop and launch My Birth Matters, an educational campaign aimed at informing expectant parents about cesarean delivery.
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