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Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública

2004, Number 1

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salud publica mex 2004; 46 (1)

Lucina’s kidnap
(or how to stop the cesarean section epidemic)

Gómez-Dantés O

Language: Spanish
References: 13
Page: 71-74
PDF size: 88.69 Kb.


ABSTRACT

Cesarean sections rates have increased considerably in highand middle-income countries in recent years. In Latin America the rates of surgical births reached 30% in Brazil, 40% in Chile, and 36% in Mexico. This essay describes the relationship of cesarean section with several mythological characters, presents a brief history of surgical births, and discusses the possible origin of its explosive increase. Among the factors associated to this epidemic we can mention economic incentives, a mounting supply of specialists, and the lack of comprehensive information on birth alternatives for pregnant women.The essay concludes with a call for a generalized control of this procedure based on evidence gathered through different kinds of interventions.


REFERENCES

  1. Cerda H. Uno de cada cuatro niños nace por cesárea. El País 2001;30 de octubre:28.

  2. Johanson R, Newburn M, Macfarlane A. Has the medicalisation of childbirth gone too far? BMJ 2002;324:892-895.

  3. Martín JA, Hamilton BE, Ventura SJ, Menacker F, Park MM. Births: Final data for 2000. Natl Vital Stat Rep 2002;(5):1-101.

  4. Belizán JM, Althabe F, Barros FC, Alexander S. Rates and implications of caesarean sections in Latin America: Ecological study. BMJ 1999;319:1397-1402.

  5. Puentes E, Garrido-Latorre F, Gómez-Dantés O. Las cesáreas en México: tendencias, niveles y factores asociados. Salud Publica Mex 2004;46(1):

  6. Dubos R. Mirage of health. Utopias, progress and biological change. New York: Harper Colophon Books; 1979.

  7. Thomas L. La ciencia: últimas preguntas. Vuelta 1982;6(62):4-7.

  8. Chávez I. México en la cultura médica. México, DF: Fondo de Cultura Económica, Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública; 1987:141.

  9. Shaw GB. The Doctor´s Dilemma. London: Penguin Books; 1946.

  10. Groopman J. A knife in the back. The New Yorker 2002;abril 8:66-73.

  11. Smith G, Pell J, Dobbie R. Caesarean section and risk of unexplained stillbirth in subsequent pregnancy. Lancet 2003;362:1779-1784.

  12. Guzmán S. La reducción de cesáreas de 28 a 13% incrementa o no la mortalidad materna y perinatal: la gran pregunta. Ginecol Obstet Mex 1993;66:122-125.

  13. Havel V. El teatro y la política. Nexos 1997;septiembre:49-51.




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