Special Deliveries

A decade ago, cesarean-section births were often a last resort, performed during medical emergencies or after hours of unsuccessful labor. But in recent years, C-sections, in which a baby is extracted through incisions in the mother's abdominal wall and uterus, have increasingly become a matter of choice, not necessity. Between 1996 and 2004, the rate of C-sections doubled to nearly 30 percent of all U.S. births--the highest figure ever reported. This despite a CDC goal, announced in 2000, to lower the rate to 15 percent among first-time mothers by the year 2010. Though fewer than one in 10 C-sections are estimated to be elective, the overall trend has alarmed many in the field. "It would be fine if there was no risk associated with it," says Dr. Duane Alexander, director of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. "But there is."

How much risk is a matter of debate, one that has roiled the world of obstetrics as the number of C-sections has climbed. This week the National Institutes of Health will host a major conference to examine why more women are having C-section births, and if they're putting themselves or their babies ... // 57% Remaining