Risks and benefits of giving birth by C-section


Over that last few years, it has become common among pregnant women to request having a cesarean section, in lieu of vaginal birth. Experts have estimated that less than 3 women out of 100 will request a c-section; however, more women are having c-sections than ever before. In 2012, about 33 percent of births in the United States were cesarean deliveries, up from about 20 percent in 1996.

 The Risks


If you are thinking about planning a cesarean delivery, there are a few risks that you should keep in mind. Take heed of the following:

 Cesareans may cause problems for future pregnancies.


One potential future complication is a condtion known as placenta previa. This is when a placenta is covering or is too close to the cervix. Placenta previa is caused by having a cesarean from a previous pregnancy. This can also increase your risk of having to deliver prematurely.


Another well-known risk is that of placenta accreta. This is when the placenta does not separate properly at delivery.

Both of these may increase the risk of hemorrhage and emergency hysterectomy during delivery.

You will probably be in the hospital longer after giving birth.

By having a c-section, you increase the length of time you will have to stay in the hospital, compared to giving birth naturally. Also, women who have a c-section are more likely to be readmitted into the hospital during the postpartum period.

 Your baby has increased chances of having to be put in NICU.

Babies born by planned c-section are more likely to end up in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) with breathing problems than are babies who are born vaginally.  In the womb, a baby’s lungs are filled with fluid. The labor process signals the baby’s lungs to stop producing fluid, and the lungs then either reabsorb or remove the fluid — but this natural process doesn’t occur as efficiently when the mother doesn’t go through labor. Babies delivered by cesarean before 39 weeks are especially prone to this problem.

Babies are also more likely to have other problems — such as their bodies lacking the ability to regulate blood sugar and body temperature.

These are just a few of the primary risks associated with giving birth by cesarean section.


post-feature-image
The Benefits

Although there are many risks to planned cesareans, there are also a few benefits.

You are able to better plan for post-birth activities.


By scheduling a c-section, it may help make it easier for you to plan things out in advance. You will be able to make arrangements for taking off of work, as well as arrangements to take care of you and your home.


There is less pre-labor anxiety.


Choosing to have a scheduled cesarean may help you combat pre-labor anxiety. You will know exactly when the birth is going to happen, giving you the peace of mind to focus on other things.

There is a smaller chance of hemorrhage.
There’s some evidence that you’re less likely to hemorrhage if you plan a c-section than if you plan a vaginal birth. When it comes to the risk of hemorrhage leading to hysterectomy, what little evidence there is shows no difference between first-time moms planning a c-section versus those planning a vaginal delivery.

Medical experts say cesarean deliveries should be performed only when medically necessary. They also caution that concern about pain management is never a sufficient reason for a c-section.


 In addition, the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics guidelines state that because there’s no hard evidence of benefit to the patient, performing a c-section for non-medical reasons is not ethically justified.



While most experts are against it, the decision of a scheduled cesarean is ultimately up to you and the doctor you are working with. You should never be afraid to follow your maternal instincts.



Radar.ng

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

How your parenting style affects your child's future

Image
Scientists have released survey results showing that children who receive positive attention and care from their parents tend to have high incomes, high happiness levels, academic success, and a strong sense of morality. Project Professor Nishimura's group aimed to discover the effects of parenting methods in Japan. To achieve this, in January 2016 they carried out an online survey as part of the RIETI project "Fundamental Research for Sustainable Economic Growth in Japan."  They obtained answers from 5000 women and men to questions and statements about their relationships with their parents during childhood, including statements such as "My parents trusted me," and "I felt like my family had no interest in me." Using this data, they identified four key factors: (dis)interest, trust, rules, and independence, as well as "time spent together," and "experiences of being scolded." Based on their results, the research gro...
Read more

Alcohol abuse even before pregnancy may harm offspring

Image
Mothers who binge drink before they become pregnant may be more likely to have children with high blood sugar and other changes in glucose function that increase their risk of developing diabetes as adults, according to a new study.  "The effects of alcohol use during pregnancy on an unborn child are well known, including possible birth defects and learning and behavior problems. However, it is not known whether a mother's alcohol use before conception also could have negative effects on her child's health and disease susceptibility during adulthood," said principal investigator Dipak Sarkar, Ph.D., DPhil, a distinguished professor at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, N.J., and director of its endocrine research program. Binge drinking is common in the United States. Among alcohol users 18 to 44 years old, 15 percent of nonpregnant women and 1.4 percent of pregnant women report that they binge drank in the past month, according to a 2012 ph...
Read more

Stillbirth 'postcode lottery' as women in the north more likely to lose babies than the south

Image
Women in the north are still more likely to have a   stillbirth than their counterparts  in the south, according to new data. Stillbirths and neonatal deaths - up until the first 28 days of a child's life - are falling, but the UK-wide pattern is not a uniform one. Neonatal death rates fell from 1.842 to 1.772 per 1,000 live births between 2013- 2014 and stillbirth rates fell from 4.201 to 4.161 per 1,000 live births in the same pe riod. But while the number of women  who give birth to stillborns  has decreased, the research shows that they vary from region to region. Factors such as social economic depression, ethnic groups and age are thought to be contributors, but other factors like smoking and obesity are also thought to have an impact - though no set reason has been determined. Reasons for gaps in the research are, in part, due to the fact that only 40% of women who give birth to stillborn babies are likely to opt for a post mortem, despite more ...
Read more