The Ethics and Risks of On-Request Cesarean Sections to be Debated at Upcoming Academy Symposium

NEW YORK CITY, May 31???In the past 8 years, the rate of caesarean sections in the United States has risen by more than 40 percent, and a variety of factors are at play. Many of the new cesareans are the result of physicians??? desire to reduce the risk of bad fetal outcomes and protect themselves from lawsuits, according to a 2004 study. Some physicians propose cesarean section delivery in order to have greater control over their schedules, critics say. Part of the trend is driven by hospitals as well: certain hospitals no longer allow vaginal birth after cesarean (VBAC) because it can cause uterine rupture and fetal compromise (though rarely) and increase hospitals??? risk for litigation. In other cases, some women are requesting elective cesareans for themselves???though their pregnancy has been without complications???out of a belief that C-sections are safer than vaginal deliveries, or in an effort to schedule the birth of their child. This trend has unleashed one of the most hotly debated medical issues of our time and is the subject of a June 14 evening symposium at The New York Academy of Medicine: ???Seeking the Perfect Baby through Cesarean Delivery: What???s at Stake????

Until recently, the prevailing medical opinion was that vaginal births were safer than cesareans. Elective cesarean sections in an uncomplicated pregnancy were considered inappropriate, and requests for such a procedure on the part of pregnant women were traditionally refused. The symposium at the Academy will examine the forces that have led many to challenge these assumptions and the increasing tendency to view cesarean delivery as a casual procedure. The risks and ethics of on-request cesarean sections will also be debated.

Alan R. Fleischman, MD, Senior Advisor at The New York Academy of Medicine will moderate the event and Nancy N. Dubler, LLB, Professor and Director of the Division of Bioethics at Montefiore Medical Center and Albert Einstein College of Medicine, will serve as commentator. Specific discussions will include:

??? ???Elective Primary C-Section: Should Obstetricians be Pro-Choice???? presented by Howard Minkoff, MD, Distinguished Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at SUNY Downstate;

??? ???Do Women Lose Their Civil Rights Upon Becoming Pregnant???? presented by Lynn M. Paltrow, JD, Executive Director of National Advocates for Pregnant Women;

??? ???National Listening to Mothers Survey: New Mothers Report Cesarean Views and Experiences,??? presented by Maureen P. Corry, MPH, Executive Director, Childbirth Connection.

This symposium will take place from 6-8 p.m. at the Academy, located at 1216 Fifth Avenue (103rd Street). The program will be preceded by a 5:30 p.m. reception.

Founded in 1847, The New York Academy of Medicine is an independent, non-partisan, non-profit institution whose mission is to enhance the health of the public. The Academy is a leading center for urban health policy and action working to enhance the health of people living in cities worldwide through research, education, advocacy, and prevention.

-by A'Dora Phillips

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Posted on May 31, 2006

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Contact:
Andrew J. Martin
Director of Communications
The New York Academy of Medicine
1216 Fifth Avenue
New York, New York 10029
212-822-7285
amartin@nyam.org

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