Head of Midwifery Association: 49% of Deliveries in Iran are Cesarean

The head of the Iranian Scientific Midwifery Association announced that 49% of deliveries in the country are performed via cesarean section. This statistic had been over 50% in previous years. On Tuesday, October 5, Nahid Khodakarami shared this statistic with reporters on the sidelines of the 15th International Congress on Women and Midwifery in Iran. Khodakarami described the cesarean rate in Iran as 'high' and stated that this figure 'is not acceptable for a country that is very advanced in medical terms.' According to her, through efforts made, the cesarean rate, which had been above 50% in previous years, has now decreased to below this amount, and further actions are needed to continue this trend. Khodakarami listed 'providing necessary medical equipment and infrastructure' and 'public awareness campaigns' as some of these actions. The head of the Iranian Scientific Midwifery Association also announced that, according to global health standards, only '85% of pregnant women can have a natural delivery without any intervention.' She had previously stated in 2013 that Iran ranked second in the world for cesarean surgeries after Brazil. According to a report published by the World Health Organization in 2010, China led the world with 46% of deliveries being cesarean. The same report indicated that in the United States, 33%, in Italy, 40%, and in Northern European countries, 14% of children are born via cesarean section. Scientifically, a cesarean section is performed when delivering a child naturally poses a risk to the health of the mother and child. The highest cesarean delivery rate in Iran was 56%, which has decreased by 6% from 2014 to May of this year, reaching 50%. According to the latest statistics, the rate of cesarean deliveries in Iran has now reached 49%.