The rate of caesarean-sections in B.C. is 35.3 per cent, the highest rate in the country reported by data from the Canadian Institute for Health Information. South Vancouver Island has a C-section rate of 35.9 per cent in 2016 to 2017, 27.5 per cent for central Island and 32.3 per cent for the north Island. Photo courtesy CBC.
A new report says caesarean-section rates are climbing in Canada and the highest rate is in B-C., with an increase seen on Vancouver Island in the last year.
Data from the Canadian Institute for Health Information says the C-section rate for south Vancouver Island is at 35.9 per cent, 27.5 per cent for the central Island and 32.3 per cent for the north end.
The rate increased by more than two and a half percent for the south region and went up 1.4 per cent in the north.
It is the fourth straight year the rate has gone up on north Vancouver Island, which was at 27.2 per cent in the 2013-14 stats period.
The central region saw a six-point drop in 2016 to 2017 compared to the year before.
Meanwhile, the C-section rate in the province is at 35.3 per cent, a full five per cent more than the next highest rate in the country in Newfoundland and Labrador.
The lowest rate is 18.5 per cent in the Northwest Territories.
The C-section rate in the country went up three points to 28.2 per cent in 2016 to 2017.
Andy Neal
