A New Way Of Paying For Maternity Care Aims To Reduce C-Sections
Instead of paying doctors piecemeal for prenatal appointments and delivery of the baby, some insurers now offer medical practices one lump sum to cover it all.
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U.S. Births Fell To A 32-Year Low In 2018; CDC Says Birthrate Is In Record Slump
"The birthrate is a barometer of despair," demographer Dowell Myers says. Not since 1986 has the U.S. seen so few babies born.
Twin's Difficult Birth Put A Project Designed To Reduce C-Sections To The Test
A woman had twins in a hospital south of Boston last summer. For doctors aiming to reduce cesareans, the second baby's tricky arrival tested the limits of teamwork.
Rate Of C-Sections Is Rising At An 'Alarming' Rate, Report Says
A report in The Lancet says the rate of cesarean sections has tripled globally since 1990. In some hospitals, more than 70 percent of births occur by C-section, putting moms and babies at risk.
Pregnancy Debate Revisited: To Induce Labor, Or Not?
Young women with simple pregnancies can safely ask a doctor to induce labor, a study finds. It doesn't increase their risk of needing a C-section after all and can even offer potential benefits.
California's Message To Hospitals: Shape Up Or Lose 'In-Network' Status
Covered California, the state's health insurance exchange, will exclude hospitals from insurance networks if they don't reduce their numbers of C-sections, back scans and opioid prescriptions.
Doula Support For Pregnant Women Could Improve Care, Reduce Costs
Doulas provide emotional support for a woman through pregnancy and childbirth. A study finds that women with doulas are less likely to have cesarean or preterm births.
Money May Be Motivating Doctors To Do More C-Sections
Many obstetricians make more money for C-sections than for vaginal deliveries. In a recent study, these doctors were more likely to perform the costly procedure than doctors paid a flat salary. But when the pregnant women were also physicians, doctors seemed less swayed by financial incentives.