As I promised at the VBAC class today, here is Birth by the Numbers, by Eugene R. Declercq, PhD, Professor of Maternal and Child Health, Boston University School of Public Health, where he presents the sobering statistics of birth in the United States today.
I had the privilege of hearing Dr. Declercq speak at the 2009 ICAN Conference in Atlanta. Not only is he an engaging speaker, but he has a great sense of humor which helps when going through statistics which can be dry if presented by the wrong person.
It’s amazing because your typical American really believes that they are receiving the best health care and that American hospitals are the best places to give birth. But as Dr. Declercq reveals, it is the overuse of our sophisticated technology, namely cesareans, that results in unnecessary infant and maternal deaths.
Please click here to see the video: Birth by the Numbers.
Thanks for sharing & spreading the truth. Evidence based care is all we’re asking for here. You’d think we could all agree on that, wouldn’t you?
Thank you for all of the time and effort you put into spreading the truth about normal birth, esp VBACs. I do my best to get all of my pregnant friends to watch this on the Orgasmic Birth site. It is SO critical that women and their families know the truth about the birth practices in this country. The gap between routine obstetrical practice and evidence-based care is cavernous.