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Somewhat related, I thought Atul Gawande's take on why C. Sections are so common now was fascinating. It's all in his book "Better: A Surgeon's notes on perform

Somewhat related, I thought Atul Gawande's take on why C. Sections are so common now was fascinating. It's all in his book "Better: A Surgeon's notes on performance" but I've linked to a summary of the obstetrics section below. Relevant passage: "In the 1960s fewer than 5 percent of deliveries were Cesareans and more than 40 percent involved forceps. And those numbers are related. Gawande makes a strong case that in the hands of experts, forceps are safe (according to some research, safer for mothers than Cesareans). But forceps are hard to learn to use properly – a process that can take two years. And if forceps are used by inexpert doctors, the results can be disastrous. Cesareans are easier to master. And this has led hospitals to phase out forceps and, in many cases, do C-sections instead. To discourage the inexpert from using forceps, Gawande says, “obstetrics had to discourage everyone from using them.” This change has come at a cost. Gawande notes that, as straightforward as Cesarean deliveries can be, they can go wrong. The baby can be lacerated. If the head doesn’t come free quickly, the child can asphyxiate." https://oneminutebookreviews.wordpress.com/2007/07/18/atul-gawande-tells-what-you-can-really-expect-when-you%E2%80%99re-expecting/ https://oneminutebookreviews.wordpress.com/2007/07/18/atul-g... https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/213233.Better https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/213233.Better

codingdave 9y ago
Even more relevant passage from the article: "Childbirth is difficult for many reasons, she writes—among them the 19th-century switch from birthing in the upright position, which allows the pelvic girdle to expand in response to contractions, to the supine position (still common among women in the West) which often requires the use of forceps." There are correct times and places for all tools. But comparing two interventions that both bring risk is an odd way to approach the topic.
JustSomeNobody 9y ago
I thought it was because of all the law suits brought about by the likes of former Sen. John Edwards.
thephyber 9y ago
> And if forceps are used by inexpert doctors, the results can be disastrous. "N of one", but I have a cousin who was mentally retarded/disabled during birth when forceps were used on his head. Obviously I don't have proof of the cause (that would require a counterfactual birth), but he is disabled, has an abnormally oblong head, and this is the stated reason of the family (also not incontrovertible facts).
twobyfour 9y ago
My understanding was that a large part of the reason was that unlike natural deliveries they can be scheduled and are thus far more convenient for the doctors.

codingdave 9y ago

Even more relevant passage from the article: "Childbirth is difficult for many reasons, she writes—among them the 19th-century switch from birthing in the upright position, which allows the pelvic girdle to expand in response to contractions, to the supine position (still common among women in the West) which often requires the use of forceps." There are correct times and places for all tools. But comparing two interventions that both bring risk is an odd way to approach the topic.

JustSomeNobody 9y ago

I thought it was because of all the law suits brought about by the likes of former Sen. John Edwards.

thephyber 9y ago

> And if forceps are used by inexpert doctors, the results can be disastrous. "N of one", but I have a cousin who was mentally retarded/disabled during birth when forceps were used on his head. Obviously I don't have proof of the cause (that would require a counterfactual birth), but he is disabled, has an abnormally oblong head, and this is the stated reason of the family (also not incontrovertible facts).

twobyfour 9y ago

My understanding was that a large part of the reason was that unlike natural deliveries they can be scheduled and are thus far more convenient for the doctors.