C-Section Rates Vary Drastically Among U.S. Hospitals
Caesareans are the most common operation performed in the U.S., but according to a new study, the rates at which the procedure is performed varies widely—ranging from 7 percent of all deliveries to 70 percent of all deliveries—depending on the hospital. And it apparently has to do with the quality of care.
Hospital Live Streams C-Section on Twitter, and It's Pretty Damn Cool
This week, a Texas hospital live-tweeted a scheduled caesarean section, from prep to aftermath, sharing information, photos of everything from the tools to the OR staff, and several (graphic) videos. It's the first fully comprehensive, interactive, live surgery of childbirth to be documented by a hospital staff.
Baby Poop Could Be the Key to Understanding Conditions Like Asthma, Obesity, and Diabetes
Babies born via Cesarean section have a different set of microbes in their digestive tracts than those born vaginally, according to a study that investigated and compared the stool samples of infants. Previous studies have linked C-sections with a higher risk of asthma, obesity, and diabetes, but the reasons weren't…
Woman Who Was Set Ablaze During Her C-Section Fails to Win a Lawsuit Against her Obstetrician
A woman named Kira Reed whose abdomen fucking caught fire during a c-section two years ago failed to win a negligence suit against her obstetrician after a jury in Onodaga County (that would be in New York) state Supreme Court ruled Thursday that Dr. Stephen Brown was not actually responsible for prepping the surgery.
Nature Is Cruel: Women Who Are Afraid of Giving Birth Have Longer Labors
No matter how you slice it, childbirth is scary. You're trying to squeeze a pretty large baby head (and shoulders and the rest) through a pretty narrow channel (vagina!), and yes, in theory, your body is designed to do this and it will work—but what if it doesn't? We all know that practically every woman in labor is…
Madonna's Nipple Was Actually Protesting Proposed Turkish Abortion Ban
When Madonna accidentally (maybe on purpose) flashed her nipple at the crowd during an Istanbul concert, the world asked Why? Now, it appears, we have answers: Madge's slip was designed to show solidarity with Turkish women as the country's government mulls a very restrictive abortion and C-section ban. Oh, ok. Yeah,…
Rapidly Expanding Religious Hospitals Are Trying to Govern Ladyparts
Some of the nation's largest health networks are run by religious orders. Because of this, they invoke "conscience clauses" in refusing to provide birth control, perform abortions, or sterilize women who want a tubal ligation. But now, some states are attempting to block religious hospitals' expansion, saying their…
Another Reason You're More Likely To Have A Cesarean
Of all the complex factors that go into having a cesarean birth, one California report finds evidence that one influences than the rest: whether the hospital is non-profit and for profit. C-sections bring in up to twice the revenue.
PETA Pulls Michelle Obama Ads • Cougars And Cubs Cruise Denied
• PETA announced it's taking down the unauthorized anti-fur ads featuring Michelle Obama. Now PETA members want the White House to do something for them: Demand that Ringling Bros. change the name of its newest elephant, Baby Barack. •
Five Arrested In Homecoming Assault; Sarah Palin Slams Levi, CBS
• Five men have been arrested in the gang rape and robbery of a 15-year-old teen outside her school's homecoming. Police say they now think 10 people took part in the assault as 20 watched and, possibly, took pictures. •
Nearly one-third of women had C-sections in 2005, a major jump from the number in 1995, when only one-fifth of women delivered babies by Caesarean. The study was done by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and also said that the sharpest decline in natural birth was from women who had already given…

