According to this BBC article, there are now European companies using a test to determine if a prolonged labor will result in cesarean section. They base the outcome on the presence of lactic acid in the body. The higher the acid, the more likely it is that the uterus will become fatigued and not be able to birth.
Could this test be a good thing that would allow mothers to go one with longer labors if their acid levels remain low or another tool to further burden women with more unnecessary cesarean sections? Looking at the article it seems like it would swing more towards the latter. The doctors interviewed did not seem to grasp what could be the cause behind the increases in prolonged labors: artificial inductions, no positional change, lack of motility, etc. Perhaps they should look into fixing the standard hospital birth experience before coming up with more technology to interfere with a natural life process.
