Final data for 2019 from the Centers for Disease Control confirm that the overall cesarean rate is 31.7%. Nearly three out of ten babies nationwide are born surgically, even though the World Health Organization (WHO) maintains that cesarean rates exceeding 10-15 percent result in more harm than good. (In Ohio, the rate ranges from 30 to 32.9 percent.) Low-risk mothers having their first babies with a singleton pregnancy have a nationwide cesarean rate of 25.6 percent. (In Ohio, the rate is 24.3 percent.)
The VBAC (vaginal birth after cesarean) rate in 2019 rose slightly to 13.9 percent. However, women are not informed of the risks of repeat cesarean surgery for themselves and their babies and they may not be offered the option of VBAC, which is safer in most cases.
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