THE MEDICALIZATION OF CHILDBIRTH AND PREVALENCE OF CESAREAN SECTIONS IN THE UNITED STATES
Open Access
- Author:
- DiPietro, Anna Marie Teresa
- Area of Honors:
- Women's Studies
- Degree:
- Bachelor of Science
- Document Type:
- Thesis
- Thesis Supervisors:
- Carolyn Elizabeth Sachs, Thesis Supervisor
Carolyn Elizabeth Sachs, Thesis Supervisor
Caren E Bloom-Steidle, Faculty Reader
Carolyn Elizabeth Sachs, Thesis Honors Advisor - Keywords:
- medicalization of childbirth
cesarean sections - Abstract:
- The United States is arguably in childbirth crisis as a result of the systematic medicalization of what used to be a natural, physiological process: childbirth. Sitting at the bottom of all developed nations in terms of infant mortality rates, the percentage of cesarean sections performed in the United States has continued to rise over the past several decades, now at a startling 32.9%. The practices, pressures, and factors which contribute to the United States’ morbidity/mortality and cesarean rates are complex in nature; however, the potential ramifications of such statistics are evidenced by World Health Organization research, which has shown that the best outcomes for mothers and infants occur when cesarean birth rates fall between 5% and 10% (Althabe and Belizan, 2006). Furthermore, the World Health Organization asserts that no country is justified in having a cesarean section rate exceeding 15%. The goal of this interdisciplinary study was to understand this “culture of cutting” in the United States in the context of the history and current practices of childbirth. This medicalization has affected the way in which doctors practice and, in turn, the care women receive in pregnancy and birth. This paper examines how the transformation of childbirth contributes to the practice of medical interventions during delivery and the prevalence of cesarean sections in American hospitals. Additionally, the paper addresses the possible adverse health effects for pregnant women and their fetuses attributable to this method of delivery. In addition, this paper attempts to answer questions surrounding the factors which transitions birth into the hospital, the effects of the medicalization of childbirth on birth experiences and outcomes, and the influence of economics, malpractice, and culture on birth outcomes and choices. The paper also presents the Midwifery Model of Care and shows how its implementation can improve the birthing culture and consequences of medicalization in our society.