Is planned cesarean childbirth a safe alternative?
B. Anthony Armson Anthony Armson is with the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Toronto, and the Maternal, Infant and Reproductive Health Research Unit (MIRU), Women’s College Research Institute, Toronto, Ont. Correspondence to: Dr. Anthony Armson, MIRU, 790 Bay St., 7th Floor, Toronto ON M5G 1N8; anthony.armson{at}wchospital.ca’ + u + ‘@’ + d + ”//–>; fax 416 351-3771. Cesarean birth rates have risen dramatically during the past decade, reaching more than 50% in some regions of the world, despite a lack of evidence of any increase in obstetric emergencies.1,2 The marked increase in primary elective cesarean delivery, particularly among women without an established medical indication, has stimulated debate in the medical community and heightened interest and publicity. This trend is owing, in part, to some evidence that suggests that planned cesarean birth may reduce the risk of maternal pelvic disorders, such as urinary and fecal incontinence and pelvic organ pr
