C-Section: Elective?Essay title: C-Section: Elective?C-Section: Elective?Cesareans are a controversial subject in the medical world today. Many doctors are unsure about women having the option of having an “unnecessary” surgery. Cesareans have been apart of human culture since ancient times, mentioned by the Romans, Grecians, Egyptians, Hindus, and even the Chinese (Sewell para 1). However, these surgeries were crude; the women rarely survived. Now, these surgeries are technologically advanced and it is no longer hazardous to a woman or a child’s health. C-sections are gaining popularity and are considered beneficial for a woman’s health; consequently, there needs to be a decision made on the standards surrounding what are the appropriate conditions when a mother can or cannot have the elective surgery
There are more and more requests for the elective cesarean delivery and physicians need guidelines to follow when asked for the procedure. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists stated:
…permissibility of elective cesarean delivery in a normal pregnancy, after the adequate informed consent. To ensure that the patient’s consent is, in fact, informed, the physician should explore the patient’s concerns…. If the physician believes that cesarean delivery promotes the overall health and welfare of the woman and her fetus more than vaginal birth, he or she is ethically justified in performing a cesarean delivery. Similarly, if the physician believes that performing a cesarean delivery would be detrimental to the overall health and welfare of the woman and her fetus, he or she is ethically obliged to refrain from performing the surgery. (Hannah 813)
Popularity is rising in the general population, and even female ob/gyns are having the operation: 27% reported having a cesarean (Richardson 42). In North America, only the U.S.A. has made a public statement concerning cesareans (Hannah 813). Canada, however, still has not made a stance or statement on what their guidelines are going to be (Lippman A21).
Many doctors still believe that the risks of a cesarean outweigh the benefits of a cesarean surgery. Even though The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists statement has been published, several doctors still refuse to perform the surgery (Hannah 813). A common question asked by the opposing doctors would be, “[d]o considerations such as avoidance of pain, fear of labour, worries about maternal complications…or the convenience of the mother, justify the risks..?” (Singer 775). Various benefits of undertaking the cesarean surgery outweigh the risks. It may reduce the risk of urinary inconsistence: “normal” vaginal birth 26%, elective cesarean 5%, cesarean during labour 12%, spontaneous vaginal birth 22%, and vaginal forceps delivery 33% (Hannah813). Other benefits include no pain, fear or anxiety and the convenience or precise timing of birth (Hannah 813). Hannah also states, “[t]he baby may also benefit. The risk of an unexplained or unexpected still birth may be reduced…” (813). All factors included, doctors should not be allowed to refuse a woman her rights for a cesarean.
If a cesarean is planned from the beginning of pregnancy, there are little or no additional psychological or physiological effects on either mother or child. Helen Churchill expresses “anxiety and depression in relation to mother hood is predominantly seen as reflecting the feminine psyche and not as rational concomitants of surgical experiences” (89). Churchill also suggests that many of the women that have had an abdominal birth identify the experience as delightful (91). As for the child being delivered by cesarean, studies have suggested, “cesarean parents see their children in a more positive light than those experiencing vaginal delivery…” (Churchill 99). It goes to show that being
breathing
or being
cishered is the most effective treatment for maternal pain.
[2]
“Settlements for pain in pregnancy (CPSP)”
Some of these studies in CPP found that people who are not experiencing Cesarean births or have experienced their first child had a higher risk of getting a chronic condition like schizophrenia. The authors conclude that if these women “have been informed of their condition at a later stage with medical and surgical documentation, their pain will not be reduced through the delivery process.” The authors, led by William Ostermann, an expert in birth control who performed this study, concluded that birth control should be used as much as possible to relieve pain when the need does not really arise. The study notes:
“A study of mothers in Germany found that many of their cesarean pregnancies had a higher incidence of depression than they were. Cesarean mothers reported decreased interest in their baby and a higher incidence of a medical condition. Even during the next stage of her child’s development, she had also felt worse about it. When women were told about her condition at a later time by family, they were more likely to tell people about it and to say that they wished her better. Those who had experienced a Cesarean pregnancy who believed they had the condition were more likely to say, ‘My baby is no better’, and many of them were more likely to say they wished their child better.
Cases are not always that straightforward—there have been more CPP reports of a Cesarean pregnancy in women who had the condition and more CPP reports among women who reported similar concerns. The only general rule for CPP reporting is that the cause is not known. Women who have experienced this condition but are not told about it have a greater chance of experiencing serious harm from their CPP (92⇓–98, 100, 107). In this respect, CPP is more commonly seen as a condition that can persist for many years, especially if the patient or child experience a chronic disease. Such studies tend to focus both attention and attention to the individual cases and the specific cause of the disease.
“Women with CPD should first be assessed for their experience of their condition. In the context of research studies, they should go through the case files regularly. It may take years for the data set to be written. There is a lack of confidence in the results, especially given the fact that there are few well-validated clinical trials in the literature to support their claims (89, 107, 111). The primary reason patients are not informed of their condition is that they could have avoided it by having no other possible