What Is A Caesarean Section?
If a child is born by means of incisions made in the abdomen and uterus instead of by normal vaginal birth, the baby is said to be a caesarean baby and the operation is known as Caesarean Section or C-Section. Caesareans sections are performed when the vaginal birth may put either the life of a mother or her baby at risk. However, there is a trend developing, especially in the Asian countries to have babies by caesarian section. The World Health Organization (WHO) warns that most of these caesarean sections are unnecessary and should be avoided. A possible reason could be that no anesthesias are used during vaginal birth but they are employed in the caesarean sections – making the child birth almost a painless experience.
Until the Renaissance, caesarean sections had very high mortality rates for the mother – reaching around 85%. The recorded incident, when a mother survived a caesarean section is less than 600 years old. Mortality rates fell only when medical technology advanced in the later centuries.
There are still some risks associated with the caesarean sections. Doctors warn it should be done only as a last resort and should be avoided. Collected data indicates higher risks during a caesarean section both for a mother and the baby. Caesarean sections are certainly not recommended for women who want to have more than one child. The risks of neo-natal depression, fetal injury and breathing problems are also more for a caesarean baby. They, however, can be life- giving, in cases where the mother is HIV infected or if the mother is not really a well built woman but the expected baby is heavier than normal or under similar circumstances. It is always better to go by what the doctors suggest. WHO recommends less than 15% caesarian sections for a healthier society.
