“There might be fewer unneeded cesarean sections if doctors learned to keep mothers informed at every stage of labor.”
The work of Dr. Neel Shah, Director of the Team Birth Project, was spotlighted in a recent New York Times article that followed the group’s endeavor to reduce cesarean section rates. The article, written by Allison Yarrow, describes the danger in current C-section delivery rates, a number that has increased to 32%. Even more troubling, a C-section is the most common surgical procedure women undergo in the United States. This rise, as Yarrow denotes, is due to stalled labors and misinformation on fetal heart rates during delivery.
In response, Dr. Shah’s work aims to reduce the number of C-sections through a simple intervention technique. Team Birth Project, started in Ariadne Labs in Boston this past January, began using dry-erase boards in delivery rooms. Currently mid-way through its clinical trial, the project has been introduced in four hospitals across the United States. The whiteboard provides a manner in which doctors, nurses, and patients can clearly communicate, and the project looks to concentrate on centering care around the mother. In the aim to reduce cesarean section deliveries, Team Birth Project allows a mother to regain her voice during deliveries and ensures that her needs are fully met.
To read more about the initiative, click here.