Childbirth: Can the U.S. improve?

Once reserved for cases in which the life of the baby or mother was in danger, the cesarean is now routine. The most common operation in the U.S., it is performed in 31% of births, up from 4.5% in 1965. With that surge has come an explosion in medical bills, an increase in complications, and a reconsideration of the cesarean as a sometimes unnecessary risk.