【英文原文2】

When a baby weighs more than 10 pounds, a c-section is often the safer option. Dr. Moritz also chooses a c-section when the mother has been in labor for a long period and not able to deliver. A long labor could signal that the baby is having trouble fitting through the mom's pelvis. A caesarean also is necessary for twins whose heads are not pointed down and anytime there are triplets, he says. And c-sections are often ordered when a baby's heart rate goes down during labor.

The number of c-sections performed in the U.S. each year for medical reasons isn't counted. But the World Health Organization has said that when c-sections rates go above 15% of total births, that usually indicates too many are being done.

The rise in caesarean sections hasn't resulted in fewer delivery complications or healthier moms and babies, says George A. Macones, chairman of obstetrics and gynecology at Washington University in St. Louis and a spokesman for the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.

Women who deliver a baby by caesarean section face a number of medical risks, including the possibility of infection, blood loss, pulmonary embolism and death.

The risks are magnified after a first child is delivered by c-section: In subsequent pregnancies, there's an increased likelihood that the uterus could rupture. Second and third c-sections also have higher risks of excessive bleeding that could necessitate a hysterectomy.

Vaginal deliveries, of course, carry their own risks, the most common of which are pain and trauma to the pelvic floor, which can sometimes result in incontinence. But they are generally safer than c-sections, Dr. Meyer says. And there are also health benefits for babies: Passing through the birth canal helps prepare the lungs for breathing air.

But doctors say that a c-section is indicated if a normal delivery would be risky for baby or mom. When Mrs. Simmonds baby failed to move out of the breech position, she scheduled a caesarean.