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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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