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Cesarean section

a surgical procedure that involves the delivery of the foetus through an abdominal incision. C-sections account for about 1/5 of all births in the us. Indications include: failure to progress, foetal distress, cephalopelvic disproportion (baby's too big for birth canal), placenta previa, placental abruption, placental insufficiency, breech baby, active genital herpes, multiple gestation, preeclampsia and excessive scarring from previous surgeries. The average hospital stay is about 4 days. The maternal death rate with C-section is three times higher than with natural delivery.