Aussie docs slam mental health screening of C-section women

Aussie obstetricians have vowed to fight against a move to send pregnant women booked for a C-section to psychiatrists in an attempt to slash caesarean rates.

Australian obstetricians vow to fight against any move to send pregnant women booked for a C-section to a psychiatrist, as the extreme move to slash caesarean rates takes off across the Tasman.

Private obstetricians are carrying the blame for high rates of surgeries and Auckland City Hospital has put a freeze on any new private obstetric specialists, as well as introducing the mental health screening of women planning to have the surgery.

Queensland has a very high C-section rate at 36 per cent, much higher than the Auckland Hospital at 20 per cent.

The National Association of Specialist Obstetricians and Gynaecologists in Australia has released a statement saying they would fight tooth and nail against any similar moves but the Australian College of Midwives supports the efforts to reduce unnecessary C-sections and believes women should have access to a psychiatrist to discuss their decisions but only if they request it.

“This is a very concerning development and NASOG strongly argues against any such policy being undertaken in Australian hospitals. Exercising choice is not a sign of mental illness and choosing an elective caesarean section (after discussion with an obstetrician) should not be pathologized,” President Associate Prof Gino Pecoraro told The Courier-Mail.

“The action reeks of making women undergo forced vaginal delivery in an attempt to “sanitise” or massage hospital statistics. Is it any wonder that women choosing to access private maternity care with a specialist obstetrician have higher C-section rates if their ability to choose is so severely impaired by public hospital policy,” the president said.

“A woman’s choice of delivery method is a valid concern and their wishes, provided they are given appropriate information, should be respected,” he said.

Assoc Prof Pecoraro said this indicates the need to secure private obstetric services in Australia with the updating and indexing Medicare and private health insurance which currently provide disincentives to private obstetric care.

Midwifery adviser to the Australian College of Midwives said it is time to have the conversation about why C-section rates are so high.

“ I applaud New Zealand’s efforts to fix the problem. The C-section rates for private obstetricians should be made public and scrutinised. And women should be offered counselling to discuss their birth plan if that is what they want but should not be forced to jump through hoops if they are perfectly content,” midwife Hilary Rorison said.

The national Maternity Consumer Network believes that there are other ways to reduce C-section rates like boosting continuity of care maternity models, offering support to women who have gone through previous birth trauma.