Preventable Caesareans Cost Taxpayers Up to $84 Million

Since one in 10 Canadian healthcare dollars goes to maternity care, lowering the caesarean rate can make a big impact on the overall financial burden. "If we were getting better outcomes in maternity care, then that spending would be worth it," said Connie Banack, ICAN Canada President. "But preventable caesareans harm mothers and babies, with short- and long-term risks."

(PRWEB) May 7, 2006 -- A new study indicates preventable caesarean surgeries cost Canada an extra $54 to $84 million a year in maternity care, yet medical research shows no improvement in health for mothers and babies with the extra surgeries, says the International Caesarean Awareness Network (ICAN).

The study, called Giving Birth in Canada: the Costs, was published this month by the Canadian Institutes of Health Information. It shows caesareans cost $1,800 more on average than normal vaginal birth.

“There’s no bang for the buck,” said Connie Banack, ICAN Canada President. “If we were getting better outcomes in maternity care, then that spending would be worth it. But preventable caesareans harm mothers and babies, with short- and long-term risks.”

Canada posted a 24 percent caesarean rate in 2003. The World Health Organization says no population of women should have a cesarean surgery rate higher than 10 to 15 percent and that higher rates put the health and lives of mothers and babies at risk.

“By sticking to World Health Organization guidelines, which are evidence-based and provide better outcomes for mothers and infants, Canada would have saved between $54 and $84 million dollars in healthcare costs,” Banack said.

The British Medical Journal published a study last summer showing low-cost maternity care - with certified professional midwives - is just as safe as high intervention hospital care. “While all care should be individualized, the big picture shows no improvement in maternal-child health from increased spending for preventable surgical births,” Banack said.

Since one in 10 Canadian healthcare dollars goes to maternity care, lowering the caesarean rate can make a big impact on the overall financial burden. In addition, the costs of caesarean surgery are not fully captured in this report, since it does not assess the cost of long-term complications like infertility, stillbirth, and more complicated subsequent births, all of which carry a financial cost for society, and a health cost for mothers and babies.

ICAN recognizes that when a caesarean is necessary it can be a lifesaving technique for both mother and baby and worth the risks involved. However, a caesarean is major surgery and should be used only when necessary because it does introduce risks. Increased risks to babies include: low birth weight; prematurity; respiratory problems; and lacerations. Increased risks to mothers include: hemorrhage;
infection; hysterectomy; surgical mistakes; death; re-hospitalization; and dangerous placental problems, scar separation and stillbirth in all future pregnancies.

ICAN is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to improve maternal-child health by preventing unnecessary caesareans through education, providing support for caesarean recovery and promoting vaginal birth after caesarean (VBAC). There are more than 70 ICAN Chapters in the U.S. and Canada, which hold education and support meetings for people interested in caesarean prevention and recovery. For more information, visit www.ican-online.org.

http://secure.cihi.ca/cihiweb/dispPage.jsp?cw_page=media_26apr2006_e
for details of the CIHI report “Giving Birth In Canada: The Costs.”

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