November News

Pregnancy & Childbirth

Washington Post Examines 'Emotional Debate' Over Vaginal Birth After Caesarean-Section Deliveries

The Washington Post on Thursday examined the "emotional debate" among women's health advocates, hospital staff and physicians about whether to allow women who previously have delivered through caesarean section to attempt vaginal births for subsequent pregnancies. More hospitals are refusing to let women choose vaginal birth after c-section, or VBAC, because of liability and malpractice concerns. Some advocates say that reducing the number of VBAC deliveries is necessary to protect women and infants because they "carry a significant danger of serious complications," according to the Post. Other advocates say that women should be allowed to choose the type of delivery they would like to attempt and should not be made to undergo a surgical procedure that carries its own set of risks (Stein, Washington Post, 11/24). According to data released earlier this month by CDC's National Center for Health Statistics, the rate of c-section deliveries performed in the U.S. reached a record high in 2004, despite efforts by the government to reduce the rate. Almost 1.2 million c-sections, or 29.1% of all births, were performed in the U.S. in 2004, which is an increase from 27.5% in 2003 and 20.7% in 1996. The government in 2000 introduced an agenda to reduce the rate of c-sections to 15% by 2010. The rate of VBACs has decreased 67% since 1996, accounting for 9.2% of births in 2004. A study released in December 2004 said 75% of VBACs observed were successful, with fewer than 1% of participants experiencing a uterine tear (Kaiser Daily Women's Health Policy Report, 11/16).

Contraception & Family Planning

Pope Benedict Restates Opposition To Abortion, Artificial Reproduction, Support for Natural Family Planning

Pope Benedict XVI in a speech at Universita Cattolica del Sacro Cuore in Italy on Friday reiterated the Roman Catholic Church's support for natural family planning, Reuters reports (Reuters, 11/25). In his speech, the pope discussed the university's Paul VI's International Scientific Institute Of Research On Human Fertility And Infertility and its research on "responsible reproduction." He said the institute is working "to give a sound scientific basis to the natural control of human fertility and to attempt to overcome infertility by natural means" (Agence France-Presse, 11/25). He also commended Pope Paul VI's 1968 papal letter, Humanae Vitae -- which outlawed all forms of contraception -- for discussing the "natural regulation of human fertility," and he repeated the Catholic Church's stance on overcoming infertility "in a natural way," Reuters reports. Under Catholic doctrine, birth control and condoms are prohibited and natural family planning practices, such as the rhythm method, in which couples abstain from sex during a woman's fertile period, are allowed. The Roman Catholic Church in June of last year was successful in helping to block a referendum that would have dismantled Italy's law on artificial reproduction, according to Reuters (Reuters, 11/25).