Brazil’s C-Section Rate is Almost Twice as High as in the U.S.

By Xiu Ying, Contributing Reporter

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Cesarean section is the most common form of childbirth in Brazil. Of the total number of procedures performed in the country, 55.5 percent are C-sections, according to data from the Ministry of Health. In private hospitals, this rate may be as high as 84 percent. The total index in the U.S. is 32.9 percent.

Around the world, the World Health Organization (WHO) has been conducting awareness campaigns to reduce the number of elective C-sections. Currently, the international organization estimates that the procedure would be required for only ten percent of births.

Health specialists consider the procedure to be twice as dangerous for mothers, with high mortality rates, and a longer recovery period. As an operation, the risk of bleeding or infection in a C-section is more common when compared to regular deliveries. For babies, respiratory issues, diabetes, and increased blood pressure may occur.

According to Resolution No. 2,144/2016 of the Federal Council of Medicine (CFM), physicians are ethically required to comply with a pregnant woman’s wish to perform elective cesarean deliveries, but only after 39 weeks of gestation. According to the report, the period ranging from 37 to 39 weeks is considered critical for the development of the baby, particularly the lungs, even if it is the final stage of pregnancy.

A recent Washington Post article satirizes the situation in Brazil well beyond the figures. According to the report, elective C-sections in Brazil are considered a social status of the elite. The richest Brazilian group prefers to avoid the “unpredictability of childbirth” and turn birth into a phenomenon.

This trend has inspired the advent of a new industry, similar to that of weddings — there are makeup artists, buffets and florists focused on working with pregnant women.

Customers contracting the services of these companies may pay over R$10,000 (US$2,500) for a variety of flower arrangements, a signature book for visitors, personalized water bottles, among other souvenirs.