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Definition

A cesarean section is a surgical procedure in which incisions are made through a woman's abdomen and uterus to deliver her baby.

Purpose

Cesarean sections, also called c-sections, are performed whenever abnormal conditions complicate labor and vaginal delivery, threatening the life or health of the mother or the baby. The procedure is performed in the United States on nearly one of every four babies delivered—more than 900,000 babies each year. The procedure is often used in cases where the mother has had a previous c-section. Dystocia, or difficult labor, is the other common cause of c-sections.

Difficult labor is commonly caused by one of the three following conditions: abnormalities in the mother's birth canal; abnormalities in the position of the fetus; or abnormalities in the labor, including weak or infrequent contractions.

Another major factor is fetal distress, a condition...