School Wants To Know If Your Child Was Born Via C-Section

There are many things a school could ask on their enrollment applications that might have an impact on admission. Birth date. Any chronic medical conditions. And whether the child was born vaginally or via c-section. Wait, what?

Yes, Dry Creek School District in Roseville, California (near Sacramento) wants to know whether your child made his or her way into the world via birth canal or via scalpel. Apparently they believe that your child’s method of birth will have some kind of impact on the child years later when they are ready to attend school, although exactly what those presumed impacts might be, the school isn’t saying. Even worse, if the parent selects c-section on the application, the parents must justify “why” the procedure was performed.

There certainly is a raging debate about the C-section rates in North America in parenting circles, with many (including the World Health Organization) stating that the c-section rate is simply too high. Indeed, it seems many women are subjected to c-sections due to arbitrary “failure to progress” guidelines, or simply because the doctor is being extra cautious. On the other hand, medical advances including monitoring and c-sections mean that many babies and mothers who would not have survived childbirth previously will now do so.

The debate has become highly polarized in some parenting communities, with those on both sides of the issue fiercely arguing whether those who get c-sections are victims of aggressive doctoring, are simply “too posh to push,” or are simply taking the option that’s right for them as a mother.

This strange question on Dry Creek School District’s enrollment application, however, seems to be the first time that the method of a child’s birth is entering the discourse outside of the hospital.

Why does the Dry Creek School District need to know how a child was born? How do they think it will impact their student population? Do they believe that you are a different/better parent depending on how you birthed your child? Do they believe your child will be more or less intelligent or socialized depending on their birth? Or are they just being completely inappropriately nosy?

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Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
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Sarah M.

4:47PM PDT on Oct 11, 2011

This is such BS. It's none of the school's business!

send a green star

Martha E.

7:53PM PDT on Jul 31, 2011

Enough is enough, with the prying. Let's go back to using common sense in this country.

Maarja L.

3:01PM PDT on Jun 20, 2011

Uh... what? How the child was born has no effect on his or her learning abilities. No effect whatsoever.

Lika S.

1:08AM PDT on Jun 17, 2011

Okay, granted that there are way too many C-Sections happening in this country, but it's really no one's business, and it's up to the woman and her doctor, with her husband maybe as a second opinion to the woman getting it...

So, unless it's going to be a totally OBJECTIVE study that the school is going to employ, and then it should be elective to put down, that they can ask for that info.

Faith P.

6:13PM PDT on Jun 16, 2011

this whole situation is completely rediculous.

dawn w.

7:24PM PDT on Jun 14, 2011

Unbelievable! Where do they get their nerve? It doesn't make any difference how the kid was born..There's no reason for them to know! Now I've heard everything.

rita b.

1:11PM PDT on Jun 11, 2011

The argument that having lots of C secetions saves lives is bull. This is proved by the fact that the USA is and has been around dead last of all industrialized countries in pre and post natal care for decades. Yet most of these countries have far fewer C-sections then we do. The facts speak for themselves. I believe our totally profit driven medical care is the main factor in this abuse of women and babies. Yes, I know some C-sections are really needed but way fewer then are performed in this country.

Judith C.

6:42PM PDT on Jun 10, 2011

Too nosy,if this is true then people should start removing their children from the school as a protest.

Past Member .

What next....singling out lefties?

Lynn C.

7:08AM PDT on Jun 10, 2011

Just wanted to give a big Thank You to Lisa Zarafonetis for the green star.

And to add - that I would certainly be removing my child from this school - rapidly! Can you imagine the type of mentality that would be influencing how your child views the world. Horrible~!

Glad to see so much outrage too . The public certainly needs to be outraged about the invasiveness of our culture, starting at the top! We are allowing our freedoms and rights to be eroded by this minipluation - first fears and then control...it's an old game. Let's all stop playing.