C-section Accelerates Pre-mature Births

Caesarean section may not now be an option for most mothers-to-be, who wish to have healthy normal babies. Premature births of single babies have been on the rise in recent years. This increase, researchers say, is being driven by Caesarean section deliveries.

A Caesarean section or C- section is a form of childbirth in which a surgical incision is made through the mother’s abdomendefine and uterusdefine to deliver one or more babies. It is usually performed when a vaginal delivery would put the baby’s or mother’s life or health, at risk. Today, it is performed on request for births that would otherwise have been normal.

C- section is being held responsible for pre-mature babies. Premature birth is delivery before 37 weeks of gestation. More than 520,000 babies are born too soon, each year, in the United States. That’s one in eight pregnancies. Such births increase the risk of death in the first month of life. These babies may also face a host of health problems like respiratory difficulties, feeding problems, jaundice and delayed brain development.

Dr. Alan Fleischman, medical director and senior vice president of the March of Dimes infant health advocacy group, voiced concern that a sizable portion of these C-section deliveries may be medically unnecessary.

According to him this is the first time, an in-depth analysis has been done on these two related issues.

Researches came to this conclusion by looking at the national birth data from 1996 to 2004. It was found that there was an increase from 354,997 in 1996 to 414,054 in 2004, of singleton preterm births, most of those delivered by C-section. This is an approximate 60,000 or 92% increase in the premature births due to C-section.

Experts have long suspected that the rise in C-sections was linked to an increase in preterm births. Fleischman said. "The challenge now is to sort out what percent of these C-sections are based on less than optimal medical indications."

The message of the study is clear, said Dr. Jennifer Wu, an obstetrician- gynecologist at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City. "This is studying a large population and warning doctors about the risk of an early delivery."

There has been considerable controversy in the medical field over a dramatic increase in C-section births in the United States and some other countries in recent decades.

As for women requesting C-sections for convenience, Fleischman said that when they consider requesting early delivery before 39 weeks, they really need to understand that babies born before that time are at risk for problems. They should know that being born pre-term gives an infant less time to develop in the womb.