Health Journalism Glossary

Cesarean section (C-section)

  • Insurance

Obstetricians and other physicians will perform a Cesarean section to deliver one or more babies when the providers fear that the mother or baby or both are at risk. For health insurers, a C-section is a complication that costs more than a normal vaginal delivery. Reducing the C-section delivery rate is often cited as a goal of the nation’s health system because of the perceived health, economic and societal benefits derived from vaginal deliveries.

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