Is This The Reason Why Cesarean Delivery Is More Common Than A Normal Delivery?

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Pregnancy is a journey that brings immense joy to an expectant mother. What makes it even more interesting are the unexpected highs and lows associated with it. One of the things that used to be unpredictable (at least a few years back) was the way a woman would deliver the baby eventually. Would it be a normal vaginal delivery or a C-section? The answer to this question usually depended on various factors; the position of the baby being a primary one. However, if the recent trends are anything to go by, even this seems to be changing. A lot of women have increasingly started opting for C-sections over the normal vaginal deliveries.

In This Article

What The Statistics Say

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According to the World Health Organization (WHO), in the year 1985, the rate of Cesarean deliveries was at 15%. However, by the year 2009, this figure jumped significantly all over the world. In the US, earlier from every 10 childbirths, only one used to be a C-section delivery. But, by 2002, the number of C-Sections grew to a worrying 26.1%. Similarly, in Europe, the rate of Cesarean deliveries was anywhere between 13 to 25%. In Iran, the percentage of Cesarean deliveries is a staggering 70%, which is 55% higher than official figures (1)!

So, What Could Be The Reasons Behind This?

There may be many factors that contribute to this. Here are a few primary ones:

1. Sedentary Lifestyles

The lack of physical activity in a pregnant woman is bound to have an adverse effect on the baby’s weight. Of course, there is nothing wrong with having a healthy and chubby baby. But this doesn’t necessarily mean the baby has to be overweight. A large baby may be difficult to deliver normally, resulting in the need for a C-section surgery. If a recent research is anything to go by, then exercising (under supervision) reduces the risk of having a large baby, which in turn reduces the chance of a C-section significantly (2). Therefore, it is important for a woman to maintain a healthy lifestyle by including regular exercises and consuming a balanced nutritious diet.

2. Fear Of Labor Pains

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More often than not, women who plan a C-section in advance would have done so simply out of fear of labor pains. The moment a woman comes to know that she is pregnant, the doubt if she’ll be able to cope with the pain is as it is on her mind. To make matters worse, she mostly gets to hear similar horror stories of “those terrible labor pains” from all and sundry. This sometimes makes a woman panic and develop cold feet at the nth minute, making her opt for a C-section to escape the labor pains altogether.

3. Lack Of Awareness

A Cesarean surgery is to be conducted only when there is a genuine medical complication that arises at the time of the delivery. However, there seem to be a lot of misconceptions regarding this life-saving procedure. Most women go into the labor room assuming that a C-section is there to help them escape the pains of labor; that it is a time-saving and pain-free process; or simply to deliver their child on a pre-decided “special” date. In such cases, if the woman is capable of giving birth naturally, she could be counseled about the benefits of opting for a normal delivery.

4. Could It Be A Business Decision Than A Medical One?

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With a number of private hospitals jumping on the bandwagon every year, the competition is rather hotting up for both government and private health centers. To keep themselves in the fray, most hospitals may readily agree for a C-section when an expectant mother requests one. Whereas, they could counsel the mother against it if she is capable enough to deliver normally. Thus, in such scenarios, a C-section becomes more of a business proposition than a medical requirement.

Having discussed these issues, it is also important to note that the decision to deliver the way she wants is any pregnant woman’s right. However, it is always better to make an informed choice before falling for an advise that may not turn out to be favorable.

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