Do caesarean section rates 'catch-up'? Evidence from 14 European countries.

This study investigated the catch up effect of Caesarean Section (CS) birth rates across 14 European countries during 1980-2009 for the first time. The panel stationary test incorporating multiple structural breaks and cross-sectional dependence was used to provide reliable evidence for the existence of the catch up effect of CS birth rates. Our results suggested that the CS birth rates in 14 European countries have mostly exhibited signs of convergence through a steady upward trend from 1980 to 2009. Policymakers in low CS birth rate countries should be cautioned concerning the negative impact of the increase of CS births.