High C-section rate concerns P.E.I.
The province of P.E.I. wants to know why 30 per cent of babies on the Island are born by cesarean section.
Recent data released by the Canadian Institute of Health Information shows the national rate of C-sections has increased significantly in the last ten years, but there are signs it is leveling off.
From 2000-01 to 2005-06, the national rate of C-section deliveries as a proportion of hospital births rose from 21.4 per cent to 26.3 per cent. The rate of increase then began to slow, with 26.9 per cent delivering by caesarian in 2008-09.
The World Health Organization recommends only 10 to 15 per cent of births be by C-section. The P.E.I. government wants to know why the rate on the Island is more than double that, running between 28 and 30 per cent for the last seven years.
"Characteristics of the population in any one region may be very different," Diane Boswall, reproductive co-ordinator with the province, told CBC News Wednesday.
"What are the indications that seem to be contributing to that rate and is our number appropriate considering our population."
Informing mothers
Sherri MacWilliams is a practising doula, providing non-medical support and advice to women during childbirth. MacWilliams believes education is an important component of bringing the C-section rate down.
"Just [a] basic increase in family-centered care support, ensuring that they have a wide scope of knowledge on a prenatal level, and ensuring true and informed choice about their birthing options," she said.
Dr. Vyta Senikas of the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada said it can be difficult to get at the cause of overall rates, because they are so dependent on what doctors decide on a case-by-case basis. "Whatever takes place between the patient-doctor relationship is within the patient-doctor relationship," said Senikas.
"Certainly no guideline, or no rule, is meant to be ultimately binding."
Senikas said her group has been encouraging their members to only perform C-sections when medically necessary.
The province will have its report ready by the fall.