Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
C-Section Rates Vary Widely Among States And Individual Hospitals, Study Shows
The employer-backed group Leapfrog is out with a national comparison of C-section rates. It says a C-section rate of 23.9 percent is a reasonable standard. Massachusetts ranks 19th among all states, with an average C-section rate of 26.2 percent. (Bebinger, 10/7)
The average rate of cesarean section surgeries for Florida hospitals was among the highest in the nation 鈥 about 32 for every 100 deliveries 鈥 according to a study released Wednesday by The Leapfrog Group, a nonprofit that surveys hospitals for quality and safety measures. The numbers, which were self-reported by Florida hospitals and included only first-time, low-risk mothers with single babies, exceeded the recommended target of about 24 for every 100 deliveries. (Chang, 10/6)
Most hospitals around the country aren't doing a good job of helping new moms who want to breast-feed, researchers report Tuesday in the journal Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. Several common practices at the institutions may actually prevent moms from sticking with breast-feeding for six months 鈥 the duration thought to be most healthful for babies. (Doucleef, 10/6)
For new mothers in the U.S. who receive government-sponsored health insurance, it鈥檚 becoming easier to get intrauterine devices (IUDs) implanted immediately after giving birth, a study found. 鈥淚mmediate insertion is associated with more women who want an IUD implant actually getting it, higher use at three months postpartum, and lower rates of unplanned rapid repeat pregnancies within 12 to 24 months of delivery,鈥 said lead study author Dr. Michelle Moniz of the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, in email to Reuters Health. 鈥淔urthermore, multiple analyses suggest that this strategy is cost-effective.鈥 (Rapaport, 10/6)
Inserting an intrauterine device (IUD) or long-term contraceptive implant immediately after a woman delivers a baby may seem like an oddly-timed procedure. But more states are offering this option through their Medicaid programs, according to a new study published today in the journal Contraception. (Welch, 10/6)
