Every third child is born by caesarean section

Leap increase in cesarean births

17/11/2012

More and more women decide to have a caesarean delivery at birth. Although studies have already shown that part-giving is sometimes very risky, many women opt for abdominal surgery, even if there is no medical need. Caesarean section is considered by many expectant mothers to be one „pleasant alternative to natural delivery“ almost transfigured.

Significant regional differences in caesarean section rate
Three out of ten infants in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern are born by cut birth. According to the Techniker Krankenkasse (TK), the rate was a good 12 years ago at 17 percent. According to evaluations by the Federal Statistical Office, today it is almost 25 percent.

It is striking that there are clear differences across Germany. Thus, the proportion of surgical births in the Saarland with 38 percent at the highest and 23.2 percent in Saxony is the lowest. The national average is about 32 percent. In the last ten years, the caesarean rate has increased by about ten percent.

Many without medical indication
The clear differences make it clear that a high proportion of caesarean births are not performed on the basis of medical indications. In many cases, women express fears of labor pain or subsequent health risks. In addition, so-called „predictable births“ more and more in fashion, because many women in addition to their mother role also pursue a career. Other parents wish that their child's birth takes place on a special day. For example, a study by the Techniker Kasse showed that on November 11, 2011, about twice as many cesarean sections were performed than on average on other days.

Another suspicion that arises is financial aspects of the clinics. Because for a cut release the hospitals can settle more money at the cash register. However, this suspicion could not be clearly proven to this day.

One aspect is indeed medical reasons. But these too have skyrocketed in recent years. The average age of the mothers at the first birth is getting higher, the babies getting heavier and the number of twin births increases rapidly due to artificial insemination. These are all reasons why doctors also advise a cutting birth.

According to the health scientist Petra Kolip of the University of Bielefeld, the proportion for actual medical reasons is only ten percent. In addition, women who have already undergone caesarean section delivery are advised to also have a caesarean section at their next birth. Because in such cases, most gynecologists generally recommend a repetition. It could indeed be that scars burst during the birth process and endanger child and mother acutely. However, such complications are extremely rare. „Even if a caesarean section was necessary during a previous pregnancy, a woman can naturally give birth in the event of another pregnancy“. Physicians recommend repeated caesarean section if the uterus could rupture because of previous surgery, for example, a longitudinal incision in a previous caesarean section or if fibroids were removed over a large area. Even if the same complications occur before birth as in the firstborn, doctors recommend re-cutting. For this reason, the German Society of Gynecology recommends first to try a vaginal birth despite previous caesarean section.

Partly serious consequences for mother and child
Many women know very little about the consequences of a caesarian section. Although it is due to medical progress that complications occur less and less often, many side effects only appear much later. Kolip criticizes therefore that doctors often provide insufficient information, which is why many parents think that a caesarean section is preferable to a vaginal delivery.

In addition to the wound pain, there is an increased risk of thrombosis or pulmonary embolism during normal birth. A caesarean section increases this risk even more.

Recent studies have shown that Cesarean section can also bring significant disadvantages for children. Thus, data analysis showed that cesarean children are at increased risk of later developing type 1 diabetes, asthma, allergies and wheat intolerance. (Sb)

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Every third child is born by caesarean section

Picture: JMG