As news about the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology’s (ACOG) revised VBAC guidelines garner attention from press outlets like the New York Times, ICAN leaders are being sought for comment.
ICAN President Desirre Andrews was quoted in WebMD Health News:
The new guidelines got a favorable response from the International Cesarean Awareness Network (ICAN). In a statement, ICAN’s president, Desirre Andrews, says: “ACOG’s updated recommendation for VBAC are much more in line with the published medical research and echo what ICAN has stated for years. Less restrictive access to VBAC will lead to lower risks to mothers and babies from accumulating cesareans.”
But the health care environment may need to catch up with the guidelines, according to ICAN. In a 2009 survey of more than 2,800 hospitals, ICAN found that 30% had formal policies forbidding VBAC and 20% had no doctors on staff willing to accept a woman planning VBAC.
Barbara Strattion, Chapter Leader for ICAN of Baltimore, was cited by the Associated Press, as reported on Salon.com:
“I feel like ACOG has really listened to how their previous policies have impacted women,” said Barbara Stratton of the International Cesarean Awareness Network’s Baltimore chapter, adding that she’ll advise women seeking a VBAC to hand a copy of the guidelines to caregivers who balk.
But she called for reducing overuse of first-time C-sections, too, so that repeats become less of an issue.