for what it's worth, c-sections have a much higher risk to the mother, but they minimise risk to the baby, particularly in the breech position. and if that baby's cord gets compressed or the shoulder gets hung up and the kid ends up with cerebral palsy or some other permanent damage, that's several million that your insurance company is paying out. if the mother dies or suffers permanent morbidity from elective surgery and she had been properly informed of the risks, under u.s. law it's usually going to be a known complication rather than negligence.