One in four babies in Canada is being delivered by a C-section, according to a report by the Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.
The present rate of C-section in Canada is 26.3 per cent, having gone up from 17.6 per cent in 1993.Most of the expectant mothers are overweight or obese, according to experts, which is one of the major causes of rise in the number of caesarian cases. Twenty three percent of women in the child bearing age in Canada are overweight. Further, adult obesity rates in the past 2 decades have doubled in the 25 to 34 age bracket.
According to Dr. Guylaine Lefebvre, the society's president and chief of the department of obstetrics and gynecology at St. Michael's Hospital in Toronto, overweight and obese women experience longer labors with an increased chance of having bigger babies. This puts them at increased risk of undergoing a C- section.
Also, an increasing number of women put off pregnancy till they are older. Older first time mothers carry a greater chance of having a C-section during delivery.
Another significant influence is from celebrity moms like Victoria Beckam who have made elective caesareans a fashion, promoted as ‘too posh to push’.
Lefebvre said. "We need to be sure that C-sections are not driven by convenience, that interventions are medically indicated, and that the safety of a woman and her baby are the driving factors in these decisions. Our position is that normal childbirth should be encouraged and should be accessible to women across the country. I think it's important to reassure women that a caesarean is relatively safe but it does have higher risks of complications than normal childbirth."
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Source-Medindia
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