Optimal C-section rate may be as high as 19 percent to save lives of mothers and infants

The most commonly performed operation in the world is cesarean section, and rates of cesarean childbirth delivery vary widely from country to country, from as little as 2 percent to more than 50 percent of live births. The World Health Organization recommends countries not exceed 10 to 15 percent (10 to 15 C-section deliveries per 100 live births) for optimal maternal and neonatal outcomes.
However, new research examining the relationship between C-section rates and maternal and neonatal mortality in 194 countries concludes that as the country-level C-section rate increases up to 19 percent, maternal and neonatal mortality rates decline. C-section delivery rates above 19 percent showed no further improvement in maternal and neonatal mortality rates.
Researchers from Ariadne Labs, a joint centre of Brigham and Women