title: Cesarean section rates in the United States. The short-term failure of the National Consensus Development Conference in 1980.
abstract: The magnitude of cesarean section rates in the United States has been of increasing public concern. A consensus development conference in 1980 formulated recommendations that were expected to lead to a decrease in national cesarean section rates. A review of cesarean section patterns for the last five years in many representative states revealed, contrary to expectations, a continuing increase in cesarean section delivery rates even after the conference. A review of underlying causes for these developments suggests that only a more efficient peer review process, involving individual physicians as well as institutions, will lead to a decline of unacceptably high cesarean section rates in this country.
mesh_terms: D002585:Cesarean Section / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003363:Cost Control; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D009316:National Institutes of Health (U.S.); D011247:Pregnancy; D012086:Reoperation; D012308:Risk Management; D014481:United States