Infertility

A recent independent review of the research by Lamaze International found that cesarean surgery, including elective surgery, also is associated with a higher risk of hysterectomy, cesarean-scar ectopic pregnancy (pregnancies that develop outside the uterus or within the scar), surgical adhesions that may contribute to serious future surgical injuries or cause bowel obstruction and chronic pain, wound pain beyond six months, and birth of a preterm or "small for gestational age" baby in a future pregnancy.

Furthermore, conventional obstetric management may contribute to poor outcomes of vaginal birth including hemorrhage, pelvic floor disorders, sexual dysfunction and unplanned cesarean surgery in labor.

For instance, continuous electronic fetal monitoring (EFM) has not been found to improve outcomes for low-risk mothers or babies, but routine use is associated with a higher rate of cesarean surgery in labor.

Despite this body of research, continuous EFM is used in 89 percent of labors in the United States.

Pelvic floor disorders, such as incontinence and sexual dysfunction, are most often attributable to obstetric interventions during vaginal birth, rather than vaginal birth itself.

In fact, routine episiotomy has not been found to improve ...

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