Premier Physician Network’s Certified Nurse Midwives Recognized for Low Cesarean Birth Rate

DAYTON, Ohio (October 12, 2018) – Lifestages Centers for Women, a Premier Physician Network practice, has been recognized by the American College of Nurse-Midwives (ACNM) as a National Best Practice for its low rate of primary cesarean births obtained by its certified nurse midwives in 2017.

National organizations such as ACNM, the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecologists (ACOG) and the World Health Organization (WHO) have made it a recent goal to encourage low rates of cesarean births. Cesarean births vary widely across the world from about 85 percent in private clinics in places like Brazil to more than 30 percent in the United States. Data collected by Lifestages midwives in 2017 showed they obtained a much lower rate than the national average, said Jalana Lazar, CNM, who tracks the data for Lifestages. The Lifestages midwives primary cesarean birth rate has been less than 10 percent annually for the past five years, compared to the national average of 31.9 percent.  

“Cesarean births have not shown to improve outcomes for babies and moms,” said Ms. Lazar, who practices with Premier Physician Network. “We also know that repeat cesarean births have risks associated with them, which is why it is important that we try to reduce the rate at which they are taking place.”Ms. Lazar believes that midwifery plays a vital role in reducing the rate of cesarean births, and that now more than ever women are taking notice of facilities and practices that have a reputation for low cesarean births.“The nature of midwifery allows us to spend a lot of time with our patients prior to and during the birthing process,” Ms. Lazar said. “We also have a natural comfort level with the birthing process understanding that a vaginal birth is the desired outcome and that in most cases can be achieved. We are able to minimize interventions and adjust our approach along the way.”

Lifestages Centers for Women has five midwives on its staff, who see patients at their Englewood, Centerville and Huber Heights locations. The practice is accepting new patients and can be reached by calling (937) 277-8988.

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