A Look At The Statistics On Pregnancy And Birth Procedures
There are nearly four million births each year in the United States. So how many people end up having c-sections, episiotomies, ultrasounds, amnios and other obstetrical procedures? Come take a look at the numbers -- and graphical representations -- from 1998, the most recent year for which complete data is available.
= 200,000 
= 100,000
Where symbols are used, all numbers are rounded
Total number of births annually: 3,941,553
Labor & delivery procedures:
Induced Labors
Number performed annually: 630,676
Cesarean Sections
Number performed annually: 825,870
Episiotomies
Number performed annually: 1.2 million
Artificial Rupture of Membranes
Number performed annually: 815,000
Electric Fetal Monitoring
Number performed annually: 3.2 million
Prenatal tests:
Amniocentesis
Number performed annually: 112,776
Ultrasounds
Number performed annually: 2.5 million
