The Physician Factor in Cesarean Birth Rates

Abstract

To investigate the influence of physicians' practice styles on the rate of deliveries by cesarean section, we studied 1533 affluent women at low risk of obstetrical complications who were cared for by 11 obstetricians in a single community hospital. The mean rate of delivery by cesarean section was 26.9 percent, but the rate ranged from 19.1 to 42.3 percent, according to the physician. The mean rate of primary cesarean section (i.e., the rate for women without previous cesarean deliveries) was 17.2, with a range of 9.6 to 31.8 percent.