Cesarean section in Brazil

Delivery practices are examined at nine hospitals in the southern part of Brazil. All hospitals show similar practices, with approximately 75% of deliveries to private patients being abdominal compared with 40% to insured patients and less than 25% to indigent patients. Further examination of the data for one of these hospitals showed that medical indications for cesarean section could not explain these variations. A much higher percentage of cesarean deliveries for private patients than for other women were scheduled in advance of hospitalization. Financial considerations play an important role in these practices.