1 in 3 First-Time Births Are Cesarean Deliveries

1 in 3 First-Time Births Are Cesarean Deliveries: One in three first-time mothers are being delivered by cesarean section, and prelabor repeat cesarean deliveries contribute almost one-third of cesarean deliveries overall, according to a National Institutes of Health study. The findings suggest that preventing unnecessary primary cesarean deliveries could substantially reduce the high cesarean delivery rate in the United States – which has increased more than 50% since 1996 and appears to be on a continued upward trajectory.