Some experts question routine use of cesarean section.

The Los Angeles Times reports that "the cesarean is now routine. The most common operation in the US, it is performed in 31 percent of births, up from 4.5 percent in 1965." But, "with that surge has come an explosion in medical bills, an increase in complications -- and a reconsideration of the cesarean as a sometimes unnecessary risk." According to the Times, "It is a big reason childbirth often is held up in healthcare reform debates as an example of how the intensive and expensive US brand of medicine has failed to deliver better results and may, in fact, be doing more harm than good." Comment: Many physicians have been concered abou the rising rate of cesarian deliveries for at least 20 years.