Rates and trends in cesarean sections between 2008 and 2012 in Iraq.

The cesarean section rate in Iraq is far above the recommended rate. Iraq witnessed a rapid upward trend in the cesarean section rate from 2008 to 2012, with most of this trend attributable to the Kurdistan Region. There is a potential relationship between the expansion of the private health sector and the increasing cesarean section rate, and further studies of this relationship are necessary. Future research should consider an audit of the indications for a cesarean section rather than measuring the cesarean section rate alone.