By JAMES DOWD

"What we know is that babies born before 39 weeks tend to face more challenges, such as feeding issues, temperature regulation problems, and longer hospital stays. Waiting can make a big difference…"Alok Kumar, MD

In a time when cesarean section rates have once again been rising across the nation, Alok Kumar, MD, Medical Director of Women’s and Children’s Services at Baptist Memorial Hospital-DeSoto, is working to reverse that trend. With a career grounded in data-driven care, collaboration, and compassion, Kumar is part of a dedicated team of medical professionals who want to change how hospitals — and expectant mothers — approach childbirth.  Kumar is a full-time partner & physician with Memphis Obstetrics & Gynecological Association (MOGA) and sees OB/GYN patients in their Southaven office.

According to the National Center for Health Statistics, in 2023 nearly one-third of live births in the United States were cesarean deliveries. This was the highest rate since 2013 and marked a multi-year increase after rates declined from 2009 to 2019.

 “We’re working closely with our nursing team to make sure every delivery is given the time and support it needs,” Kumar said. “We’re training staff in alternative labor techniques, investing in tools like birthing balls, and most importantly, educating patients on why it matters.”

When Kumar joined Baptist-DeSoto in 2008, he brought not only his training and skill in obstetrics and minimally invasive surgery, but also a deep commitment to maternal health. Over the years, he has collaborated with colleagues to reduce the rate of primary C-sections in low-risk pregnancies.

In 2021, Baptist-DeSoto launched a pilot program aligned with Mississippi’s NTSV (Nulliparous, Term, Singleton, Vertex) initiative, focused on reducing primary C-sections in healthy, low-risk pregnancies. The program emphasizes clear communication between physicians and nurses, careful data tracking, and best-practice policies to promote spontaneous labor whenever safe and possible.

This means no elective inductions before 39 weeks gestation unless medically necessary, a practice Baptist-DeSoto implemented 15 years ago. The hospital is now revisiting that policy and may push the timeframe to 40 weeks for elective inductions.

“What we know is that babies born before 39 weeks tend to face more challenges, such as feeding issues, temperature regulation problems, and longer hospital stays, Kumar said. “Waiting can make a big difference.”

A major challenge in changing practice patterns, Kumar said, is aligning provider convenience with what’s best for the patient. With low-risk pregnancies and healthy mothers, early inductions should not be an automatic option. He emphasizes that this shift requires trust between patients and providers, and between team members in the hospital.

“There’s a growing trend of scheduling deliveries based on when a specific physician is on call, but spontaneous labor is almost always safer and smoother when the patient’s body is ready,” Kumar said. “At Baptist-DeSoto we’ve created a culture where physicians trust the nurses and each other. That collaborative environment makes all the difference.”

Still, not every labor goes according to plan, and medical personnel never expect every mother to deliver vaginally. Sometimes, even in low-risk cases, complications arise, and a C-section is the right call, but the key is to avoid rushing to that decision.

As C-section rates continue to climb across the U.S., often due to older maternal age, rising chronic conditions like diabetes, and changing OB/GYN practice models, Kumar remains focused on evidence-based care. His work is not about forcing any one type of birth, but about giving women the safest experience possible.

“We have to bring the art of obstetrics back into alignment with what we know scientifically. That’s not easy, but it’s necessary,” he said. “And it starts with respecting labor, being patient, and putting mothers and babies first.”

Kumar’s path to medicine was one of persistence and passion. After graduating from Duke University with a bachelor’s degree in biology, he earned his MD from the University of Tennessee College of Medicine and completed a residency at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center. Following a stint in private practice in Annapolis, Maryland, he returned to the Mid-South.

The decision to return was as personal as it was professional. Today, Kumar’s extended family shares dinners and holidays, and his home is filled with laughter, creativity, and conversation.

“My daughter was just six months old, and we had no family support in Maryland,” Kumar said. “Coming back to Memphis brought us closer to my parents, and my wife’s family joined us here soon after. Now we have family gatherings with more than a dozen people at our dinner table. It’s the life I dreamed of.”

In addition to delivering babies and mentoring hospital staff, Kumar finds joy in the arts and the outdoors. He is an avid gardener, creates concrete planters, tends to tropical houseplants, and loves landscape and family photography.

“There’s something about making things with your hands that’s deeply fulfilling,” Kumar said. “It’s similar to medicine in that way; it’s about process, patience, and care.”

Kumar tries to model the love and respect he has for his career with family, friends, and patients. That includes maintaining a positive outlook when he is occasionally mistaken for indicted gynecologist, Dr. Sanjeev Kumar, but with whom he has no connection.

At the end of the day, he wants his daughter and two younger sons to know that their father enjoys his career and will support them in theirs, whether they follow him in medicine or pursue something entirely different.

“Being a physician is a demanding profession, but I always try to talk about it in a positive light around my family,” Kumar said. “Yes, there are long hours and missed dinners sometimes, but I’m at the table six nights a week. My kids see what I do, and they see that I love it. Maybe they might love it one day, too.”