Читать книгу Infants and Children in Context - Tara L. Kuther - Страница 171

Sometimes a vaginal birth is not possible because of concerns for the health or safety of the mother or fetus. For example, normally the baby’s head is the first part of the body to exit the vagina. A baby facing feet-first is said to be in a breech position, which poses risks to the health of the baby. Sometimes the obstetrician can turn the baby so that it is head-first. In other cases, a cesarean section, or C-section, is common. A cesarean section is a surgical procedure that removes the fetus from the uterus through the abdomen. About 32% of U.S. births were by cesarean section in 2016 (J. A. Martin et al., 2018). Cesarean sections are performed when labor progresses too slowly, the fetus is in breech position or transverse position (crosswise in the uterus), the head is too large to pass through the pelvis, or the fetus or mother is in danger (Jha, Baliga, Kumar, Rangnekar, & Baliga, 2015; Visscher & Narendran, 2014). Babies delivered by cesarean section are exposed to more maternal medication and secrete lower levels of the stress hormones that occur with vaginal birth that are needed to facilitate respiration, enhance circulation of blood to the brain, and help the infant adapt to the world outside of the womb. Interactions between mothers and infants, however, are similar for infants delivered vaginally and by cesarean section (Durik, Hyde, & Clark, 2000).