Nurses Ramp Up Efforts to Lower Cesarean Rates

In the United States, cesarean births have increased from 20% to 32% over the past 22 years.

Researchers estimate that almost half of these procedures performed in the United States are not necessary.

To tackle the problem, a team at SSM Health St. Mary’s Hospital-St. Louis decided to steer away from elective inductions before 39 weeks gestation.

They also stopped putting time limits on deliveries. Rather than giving mothers 12 or 24 hours to deliver a baby after their water membranes had ruptured, mothers could wait for labor to begin naturally while nurses regularly checked for signs of infection.