Caesarean rate alarms doctors

By Danielle Teutsch, Health Reporter
July 7 2002
The Sun-Herald
 

Women fearing pain and concerned about their baby's health are forcing obstetricians to perform caesareans against their will, childbirth experts warn.

The trend has led to an alarming increase in requested caesareans and obstetricians are caving in to the demand because they fear being sued, professor of obstetrics and gynecology at NSW University and the Royal Hospital for Women Michael Bennett said.

"Women are coming in and saying, 'We don't want to take any chances at all with our babies'," Professor Bennett said.

"We have lawyers, company directors, women in positions of power and influence who are having babies later. And in this present medico-legal climate, the average obstetrician is going to cave in and say, 'Yes, OK'."

Dr Tony Frumar, an obstetrician at Prince of Wales Private Hospital and King George V Hospital, said women were scared into requesting caesareans after hearing "war stories" of traumatic vaginal births from other women.