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May 17, 2007 11:03 pm US/Eastern
C-Section Rally Held After Deaths Of Two Mothers
PHILADELPHIA (CBS 3) ―
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Scythes and Farah, who were friends and co-workers, both died while giving birth.
CBS
A group gathered Wednesday to hold a rally for two friends and co-workers who died giving birth in Gloucester County.
Men and women attending the rally at Underwood Memorial Hospital were asking state officials to conduct an investigation into the deaths of Valerie Scythes, 35, and Melissa Farah, 28, who died 15 days apart.
Scythes and Farah were delivering their daughters by c-section at the hospital in Woodbury, Gloucester County.
Rally attendees believe hospitals often rush to recommend the procedure.
"Nobody wants to wait anymore. The doctor doesn't want to wait, they don't want to risk that something could potentially go wrong and so they recommend a cesarean," said Dana Roberts of Manville.
Roberts said while she underwent a c-section, she had almost no information about the possible risks.
"When you're in labor it's difficult to make a decision and so when a doctor or midwife says, 'Let's go,' it's hard to say no," said Dana Roberts of Manville.
Though their deaths are still under investigation, demonstrators said doctors in general are too quick to suggest defensive procedures, like c-sections or induced labor.
"Birth is a natural event and the hospitals are here and doctors are here to support that event, but not to, necessarily, treat it like it is a disease," said Jeffery Fields of Woodbury.
Rally attendees called on state lawmakers to investigate New Jersey's cesarean rate and pass a law making it mandatory for hospitals to make statistics available.
"It's a significant issue for us, one that we've identified that we want to continue to participate in," said Richard Bellamente of Underwood Hospital. "As time goes by, we hope that organizations such as this do receive the forum in which they can bring their causes to light."
The demonstration was scheduled to continue at the New Jersey state house in Trenton.
Rally organizers claim the Garden State has the highest cesarean rate in the nation, with 37 percent of all mothers in New Jersey delivering by c-section.
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