• Outreach to physicians and hospitals in Central and Southeastern U.S. on risks associated with scheduling C-sections prior to 39 weeks gestation unless medically necessary
• Pilot program with obstetricians helped decrease NICU admissions by 46 percent
• Initiative supported by the March of Dimes

UnitedHealthcare, a UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH) company, is expanding its efforts to help reduce neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) admissions for babies delivered by scheduled C-sections prior to 39 weeks gestation unless medically necessary, an initiative supported by the March of Dimes, the leading nonprofit organization for pregnancy and baby health.

More than 1.2 million C-sections are performed annually, and while some women may need medical intervention as a result of fetal distress and other medical issues, some of these C-sections are elective and medically unnecessary. Findings of a nationwide study published in the January 2009 edition of the New England Journal of Medicine revealed that 35.8 percent of elective cesarean deliveries were performed before 39 weeks of gestation. With this in mind, UnitedHealthcare is expanding its data-sharing and educational efforts to include physicians and hospitals in the Central and Southeastern United States.

UnitedHealthcare performed a 2005 review of sample data in selected markets in the Southwestern U.S. that showed 48 percent of newborns admitted to the NICU were from scheduled admissions for delivery – many before 39 weeks’ gestation, a practice that is discouraged by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG). After UnitedHealthcare shared its findings, physicians and hospitals in the pilot altered practice patterns and realized a 46-percent decrease in NICU admissions in the first three months – a decline that has held stable.

“Based on ongoing review of our own data as well as a recently released national research study, we know reducing the overall number of elective caesarean sections will translate to fewer NICU admissions and fewer health complications for newborns,” said Tina Groat, M.D., national medical director of Women’s Health for UnitedHealthcare.