C-sections are cost-effective way to improve maternal outcomes in developing countries

Investing in C-sections could be a cost-effective way to improve outcomes for difficult deliveries in developing countries, reports a study published Apr. 18 in the open access journal PLoS ONE.

Developing countries account for 99% of maternal deaths, and it is important to implement a cost-effective method to decrease these numbers. The authors of the current study, led by John Meara of Harvard Medical School, used an economic model to determine that C-sections would be "highly cost-effective" for 48 of the 49 countries included in the study, and that investment in C-sections is a viable economic possibility in 46 of the countries based on the calculated benefit-cost ratio.

Therefore, they argue that C-sections are necessary and ultimately economically favorable in the vast majority of countries included in the study, and implementation could have a very positive effect on maternal outcomes.

Source: Public Library of Science