Jennifer Block, author of "Pushed" recently spoke out again in a great op-ed piece in the LA Times. Her book and the article are helping to expose a major public health risk - the C-section epidemic, the rising rate of maternal mortality in the US, and the role that modern obstetrical practices are contributing to the problem. Listen to her talk about the issues. . .
The issues Block addresses are especially relevant here in Northwest Arkansas where the C-section rate is double what is considered safe by the World Health Organization. (The WHO has determined that anything above 15% risks mothers' and babies' lives and health unnecessarily.) What's more, women are being denied the option of VBAC and are being led to believe that it's actually illegal in the state of Arkansas to have one. Do women here know that their rights are being violated and that a ban on VBAC is the only thing that's really illegal here? I was asked recently, "If it's illegal for hospitals to ban VBAC, why is the ban allowed to persist?" I believe the answer is simple. Not enough women have raised their voices to say, "This is wrong and we have had enough."
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