Labour pains : breaking the bank to give birth

Beskrivelse

The joys of becoming a parent in the United States are now regularly overshadowed by the rising costs of having a baby. The average pregnancy and natural delivery carry a price tag of $30,000, with an additional $20,000 if it’s a C-section. Although childbirth costs have nearly tripled since 1996, the US still has a 50% higher first-day infant death rate than all other industrialised nations. So, why have costs risen so much and have profit motives taken precedence over the health of mother and child? In this episode of The Stream, we speak to: Eugene Declercq, Professor, Boston University School of Public Health; Charlotte Overgaard, Former Midwife & Asst Professor, Aalborg University; Tina Cassidy, “Birth”; Cassi Perez, mother of two.