Births by Caesarean section have reached record levels in the West - almost 30% of babies in the US are born this way.
But many health professionals say that the procedure can place the mother and baby at greater risk than a natural birth and that many of the procedures are unnecessary.
A new patent application says that software could monitor the progress of a woman's labour and help doctors decide more safely when to perform a C-section.
One of the most common reasons cited for performing an emergency Caesarean is an abnormally slow birth. But deciding what is abnormally slow is a tricky business that depends on a doctor's experience and ability to interpret ultrasound scans of the birth canal and an inspection of the cervix.
José Príncipe and colleagues at the University of Florida in Gainesville say a computer could do a better job.
Príncipe says that the necessary data can be obtained by using wireless sensor to monitoring parameters such as the electrical activity of the muscles in the uterus to determine the strength and frequency of contractions.
The computer can then determine whether the birth is progressing normally or not, giving doctors valuable extra input to help them decide whether a Caesarean is needed.
* Actually, I think that is a very important invention, a very serious innovation from scientists, because it lets a doctor to know what to do when a pregnant is going to give birth! With this monitor, a doctor has to decide if a pregnant can give a birth normally or with a Caesarean...It's not a very easy situation...