A study by Health Grades Inc. reports that the number of elective cesarean sections increased by 25 percent from 2000 to 2002, and that as many as 1 in 50 live births in the United States are now performed by elective cesarian sections.

The study examined births at 1,684 hospitals and found that 2.21 percent of live births during the study period were performed by elective cesarian sections.

There are also preliminary indications that elective cesarean section births may be more cost effective and have fewer complications than vaginal births. The Health Grades Inc. study found that there were complications in 8.4 percent of elective cesareans as compared to complications in 12 percent of vaginal births.

That figure is in line with a University of Texas study that found elective cesarean births were more cost effective over the long term than vaginal births. Elective cesareans cost $920 compared to only $780 for vaginal births, but the costs of treating complications from vaginal births more than outweighed the slightly higher costs for the cesarean.

Sources:

Study finds Caesarean births more popular. Austin Business Journal, June 28, 2004.

Number of ‘Patient Choice’ C-Sections Rises by 25 Percent, HealthGrades Study Finds. Press Release, Health Grades Inc., June 29, 2004.

After demonstrators took to the streets in the capitol of Bangladesh, authorities there cancelled that country’s first scheduled female wrestling tournament.

The state-run wrestling federation hoped to have women from across the country participate in the event, but gave in after protesters complained that wrestling was “indecent and vulgar for Muslim women.”

The BBC reported, however, that the protesters misunderstood the nature of the wrestling match — the women would wrestle fully clothed, rather than wearing WWF-style uniforms or, Allah forbid, shorts.

The BBC quoted wrestling federation director Tabiur Rhaman as saying,

There is a misunderstanding. They might have thought that it would be a tournament like WWF, but we can assure them there will be nothing like that because we are fully aware of our religious sentiments.

Perhaps it is Rhaman, however, who misunderstands the opposition to women wrestling. Take Islamic reactionary Moulana Mohiuddin Khan who the BBC quotes as saying,

We are even ready to sacrifice our lives, if necessary, to protect our country from any kind of indecent sports.

Please, Khan, feel free to make that sacrifice any time.

Source:

Women’s wrestling called off. The BBC, July 4, 2004.

Reuters reported this week that more than about 50 mothers gathered at a Houston shopping mall this week to protest an incident in which a woman breastfeeding her infant son was asked to either cover herself or move to a more private place, such as a restroom.

The women first breastfed their children in the middle of the mall before continuing their protest outside, complete with chants of “Got milk.”

Mall officials told Reuters that the incident was a mistake, and that the mall has no policy against public breast-feeding

Source:

Women stage breast-feeding protest at mall. Reuters, July 6, 2004.