1. Declining Fertility and the Use of Cesarean Delivery: Evidence from a Population-Based Study in Taiwan.
- Author
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Ma, Ke‐Zong M., Norton, Edward C., and Lee, Shoou‐Yih D.
- Subjects
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HUMAN fertility , *CESAREAN section , *DELIVERY (Obstetrics) , *MEDICAL care research - Abstract
Objective. To test the hypothesis that declining fertility would affect the number of cesarean sections (c-sections) on maternal demand, but not medically indicated c-sections. Data Sources. The 1996–2004 National Health Insurance Research Database in Taiwan for all singleton deliveries. Study Design. Retrospective population-based, longitudinal study. Estimation was performed using multinomial probit models. Principal Findings. Results revealed that declining fertility had a significant positive effect on the probability of having a c-section on maternal request but not medically indicated c-section. Conclusions. Our findings offer a precautionary note to countries experiencing a fertility decline. Policies to contain the rise of c-sections should understand the role of women's preferences, especially regarding cesarean deliveries on maternal request. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2010
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