[Frequency of cesarean sections in four hospitals of Mexico City: 20 years later].
BACKGROUND
This article is an update of a similar study published in 1984 in which the frequency of cesarean sections practiced in four Mexico City hospitals from 1976 to 1983 was analyzed.


OBJECTIVE
To assess the frequency of cesarean sections practiced in four Mexico City hospitals from 1995 to 2002.


METHODS
Data from these same hospitals corresponding to the 1995-2002 period was again collected.


RESULTS
The frequency of cesarean sections in those four health care centers exceeded by far the internationally accepted standards; this frequency shows an increase, and it now accounts for twice as many operations as the number of interventions originally recorded. In 1976, 10 out of every 68 pregnancies came to end vaginally. By 2002, the same ratio was 10 out of 27.


CONCLUSIONS
It is urgent to reduce the frequency of such a practice, as well as to reorganize the obstetric services; furthermore, the corresponding modifications in the training of such medical specialists must be done.
Narro Robles
José
J
Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México.
Hernández Torón
Juan Carlos
JC
Imaz Olguín
Victoria
V
Jesús Silva
Jorge Antonio
JA
Olea López
Jimena
J
Soto Hernández
Gabriel
G
Ruiz Ruisánchez
Arturo
A
D002585:Cesarean Section / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006761:Hospitals; D006801:Humans; D008800:Mexico; D011247:Pregnancy