Soaring C-Section Rate Troubles Doctors

"Without that squeezing, the air tries to go in but is blocked by the fluid that's still in the lungs," Warner said.

Zweifler added that he's concerned that the skyrocketing Caesarean section rate will have consequences down the line that cannot be predicted.

"Sometimes, we don't appreciate all the effects of our interventions until years later," Zweifler said. "You're getting into uncharted territories here."

To combat the C-section rate, doctors are urging women to become more aware of the risks associated with the procedure.

"I don't believe there's a woman who would agree to it if they felt they were putting themselves or their baby at risk," Wagner said.

Women who've already had a C-section birth are being asked to consider a VBAC, or vaginal birth after C-section, for their next pregnancy.

Studies show that not only is it possible to have a vaginal birth following a previous C-section, but that the risks are roughly the same, Zweifler said.

"There is no difference in outcomes," he said.

More information

To learn more, visit the International Cesarean Awareness Network.

SOURCES: Marsden Wagner, M.D., former director of women's and children's health for the World Health Organization; John Zweifler, M.D., M.P.H., chief of the Family and Community Medicine Department, University of California, San Francisco-Fresno