Increase in caesarean section rates among low-risk women  in Queensland, 1990–2004

Johnston, Trisha C; Coory, Michael D

doi:10.5694/j.1326-5377.2006.tb00623.x

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To the Editor: The current rate of caesarean sections in Australia (29% of all live births) is higher than the rate in other similarly affluent countries.1 In addition, the rate is continuing to increase; for example, it was less than 20% in 1993.1

Epidemiology Services Unit, Queensland Health, Brisbane, QLD.

Correspondence: trisha_johnston@health.qld.gov.au

1. Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). OECD health data 2006 [CD-ROM]. Paris: OECD Publications Service, 2006.
2. Anderson GM. Making sense of rising caesarean section rates: time to change our goals. BMJ 2004; 329: 696-697.
3. Lavender T, Hofmeyr GJ, Neilson JP, et al. Caesarean section for non-medical reasons at term. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2006; (3): CD004660.
4. Declercq E, Menacker F, MacDorman MF. Rise in “no indicated risk” primary caesareans in the United States, 1991-2001: cross sectional analysis. BMJ 2005; 330: 71-72.
5. Villar J, Valladares E, Wojdyla D, et al. Caesarean delivery rates and pregnancy outcomes: the 2005 WHO global survey on maternal and perinatal health in Latin America. Lancet 2006; 367: 1819-1829.

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