Impatient: Are 'low-risk' C-sections happening when they shouldn't be?

In this file photograph taken on March 20, 2007, a two-week-old boy finds his feet in his new world. Health Secretary Patricia Hewitt announced, April 3, 2007 that for the first time, mothers-to-be will have a guarantee that the NHS will provide them with a full range of birthing choices - including home births - and a midwife they know and trust to care for them. (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)

Public health experts say C-sections are happening when they aren't really needed. A new study looks at just how often these so-called 'low-risk' operations occur.

According to the latest numbers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly a third of all births in this country happen by Cesarean section.

C-sections can be life-saving procedures for both moms and babies, but they're not without risks. That's why public health experts say they should only be performed when truly necessary.
Those same experts also say, in far too many cases, C-sections are happening when they aren't really needed. A new study looks at just how often these so-called "low-risk" operations occur.

Southern California Public Radio's health reporter Rebecca Plevin joined host Alex Cohen with more. You can also get more information at her blog.