By Laura Weber, Michigan Public Radio Network
LANSING, MI –
A new report shows Michigan is following a national trend of more cesarean-section childbirths. Michigan is slightly above the national average in percentage of C-sections, which is about one in three childbirths.
But the report from the Center for Healthcare Research and Transformation also shows Michigan is doing better than most states in successfully treating heart disease without surgery.
Marianne Udow Phillips is director of the center that wrote the report. She says the positive news about cardiovascular treatment has a lot to do with cooperation between Michigan's hospitals.
"I think there was an informed dialogue that led to the changes in the picture we see here, and that's a great thing," she says. "And I think that's the kind of thing we need to see with cesarean sections."
Udow Phillips says it's unclear why C-sections are happening more frequently. The Centers for Disease Control have set a goal of cutting the percent of C-sections to fewer than half of what are being performed now.