In this month’s Science Agenda column Scientific American’s editors make the case for widespread adoption of midwifery care in the U.S. One major advantage of such a shift would be a reduction in the cost of childbirth. Midwives boast lower rates of cesarean section and other pricey interventions compared with those of obstetricians. Moreover, women in midwifery care might choose to give birth at home or in a birth center, the costs of which are typically a fraction of those associated with hospital delivery.
