Evolution of Caesarean Delivery: The Case of Mexico

Abstract

The normalization of caesarean delivery in Mexico is a public health problem. The caesarean section rate is in the 50% threshold, mostly scheduled without any medical judgment, in a country where obstetric violence at all levels is considered a normal practice. By analyzing the birth certificates of 2008-2013, and with the help of the latest National Health Survey (Ensanut 2012), we show how serious this problem is in Mexico. We also analyze the main socio-demographic characteristics of those mothers who undergo this procedure and conclude that the forecast indicates a massive increase in 2015 to exceed the number of vaginal deliveries. Rather than seeking answers, this work aims to graphically display the status of childbirths in Mexico as well as to raise some hypotheses about the critical situation of this phenomenon that will most probably still increase.