Why Chinese mothers turned away from C-sections

Doctors and researchers have long been warning of alarmingly high Caesarean-section rates globally. Among countries with such high C-section rates, only one has managed to change - China. The story of how China succeeded where others failed is exemplary but also somewhat troubling.
Less than a decade ago, China was criticised by the World Health Organization for having one of the highest Caesarean-section rates in the world. Things have changed very quickly.
China's C-section rate is still double that of Scandinavian countries and the rate is going up - but that rate of increase is slowing. And remarkably, researchers say, the numbers show China is on track to reverse its high C-section rates.
"China has managed to make a dent in C-section growth rates when other countries like Brazil have not managed to crack it," said Dr Susan Hellerstein, a Harvard University professor who co-wrote a study with Peking University researchers, analysing more than 100 million births in China.
Part of this success is down to serious investment in maternity care and the rise of "wellness" culture among the middle classes in Chinese cities - but the key factor here is the punitive element, which experts fear means women do not really have free choice when it comes to childbirth.
"Why are you saying this now when you are having contractions? Your cervix has already dilated 4cm [1.5in]. A Caesarean is bad for you and the baby... you can't get one," a nurse is recorded telling a mother pleading for a C-section, in a 2016 study by University of Pennsylvania researcher Eileen Wang.
Nevertheless, many acknowledge that it's remarkable for a country that recorded 17.2 million live births in 2017 to effect such a shift - it has not been replicated elsewhere.
Source: BBC