Forgotten Cost of NHS Birth Litigation

This is the comment I've just posted on an article in The Sun today: NHS pays out for 750 £1m blunders.

"Litigation is a cost of childbirth that is rarely included in cost comparisons between different birth plans.

Study: Exclusive Cesarean Birth Reduces Incontinence Risk

This latest study has been reported on Reuters under a rather different headline: "Choosing C-section may not prevent incontinence"... Hence my comment below:

It's incredible that even this research, which clearly adds to the body of evidence demonstrating prophylactic benefits with planned cesarean birth, should be presented in as negative a way as possible.

Knee-Jerk Comments Criticize Cesarean Cost

I praised the Baltimore Sun's article on cesarean satisfaction rates (May 7, 2011), but others have been roundly criticizing it. The latest comment, titled "Before praising C-sections, consider the cost" (Rosalind Ellis, Baltimore) concludes that if women choose a cesarean, then they should jolly well pay for it themselves.

This was my response:

Tougher Nuts to Crack than Cesarean Rates

The irony in this article (Obesity, elective cesarean contribute to U.S. maternal mortality rate, by Robyn Carlisle, MSN, CNM, WHNP, May 9, 2011) is astonishing, and its headline does little else but feed the anti-cesarean frenzy that it is taking place amongst many birth advocates around the world. Tweet

Irony no.1:

In the developing world,

Moms who planned C-sections report high satisfaction, study says

I have just posted the following comment on this article, "Moms who planned C-sections report high satisfaction, study says" in the The Baltimore Sun (dated May 8, 2011), which begins: "Research adds a new perspective to complex view of Cesareans...".

Firstly, thank you to Meredith Cohn for being one of the first journalists to cover this

Cutting Planned C-Sections Cuts Choices, not Costs

It's the same story on cesareans in Canada as we have here in the UK - full of misunderstanding about the very different risks of planned and emergency surgery, and a determination to reduce the numbers of the safest (and often WANTED) kind while doing little or nothing to address the riskiest (and naturally unwanted) kind.

On top of which, these experts think they're going to save money like this - of course they completely ignore costs like litigation and birth injuries in their calculations...