AIMS Journal, 2012, Vol 24 No 1
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (now called the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists) is considered by some to be the authoritative body on matters maternity in the USA. One expects, therefore, that its statements are based on facts. The reality is somewhat different.
Last year AIMS was sent a press release from ACOG's President, Dr Richard N Waldman, which stated: 'Attempting a vaginal birth after cesarean (VBAC) at home is especially dangerous because if the uterus ruptures during labor, both the mother and baby face an emergency situation with potentially catastrophic consequences, including death. Unless a woman is in a hospital, an accredited freestanding birthing center, or a birthing center within a hospital complex, with physicians ready to intervene quickly if necessary, she puts herself and her baby's health and life at unnecessary risk.' Bearing in mind the paucity of American statistics, AIMS wrote to Dr Waldman and asked for the following statistics for 2005–2009 which, one presumes, would support his claims.
How many:
Of those ruptured uteri, how many:
In the fullness of time, AIMS received nine pages of statistics which revealed the total number of caesareans, VBACs, the bir th rates (but nothing about place of birth, other than freestanding birthing centres), induction, amniocentesis, EFM, ultrasound, episiotomy, lacerations, and more statistics that failed to answer any one of the questions posed. None of the statistics covered the period 2005-2009; instead they sent statistics from 1979-2006!
None of the questions AIMS asked was answered, despite two reminders. It is clear that Dr Waldman had no evidence whatsoever for his claim.
Beverley A Lawrence Beech
The AIMS Journal spearheads discussions about change and development in the maternity services..
AIMS Journal articles on the website go back to 1960, offering an important historical record of maternity issues over the past 60 years. Please check the date of the article because the situation that it discusses may have changed since it was published. We are also very aware that the language used in many articles may not be the language that AIMS would use today.
To contact the editors, please email: journal@aims.org.uk
We make the AIMS Journal freely available so that as many people as possible can benefit from the articles. If you found this article interesting please consider supporting us by becoming an AIMS member or making a donation. We are a small charity that accepts no commercial sponsorship, in order to preserve our reputation for providing impartial, evidence-based information.
AIMS supports all maternity service users to navigate the system as it exists, and campaigns for a system which truly meets the needs of all.