A quarter of babies delivered by C-section

UK among highest users of caesareans in western Europe as result of fears over natural births

One in four babies is now delivered by caesarean section, figures reveal, as experts say women are increasingly scared of natural birth. A major international study, published in The Lancet, showed C-section delivery rates rose from 19.7 per cent in 2000 to 26.2 per cent in 2015, putting Britain among the highest users of the procedure in Western Europe. The increase comes despite a campaign in many NHS hospitals to promote natural birth.

ONE in four babies is now delivered by caesarean section, figures reveal, as experts say women are increasingly scared of natural birth.

A major international study, published in The Lancet, showed C-section delivery rates rose from 19.7 per cent in 2000 to 26.2 per cent in 2015, putting Britain among the highest users of the procedure in western Europe.

The increase comes despite a campaign in many NHS hospitals to promote natural birth.

As well as “fear” of natural birth, the rise in caesareans is likely to be driven by increased obesity among women of childbearing age.

However, scientists warned last night that only 10-15 per cent of deliveries medically require a caesarean, meaning at least 85,000 are performed purely on the basis of preference each year.

Caesareans can be life-saving interventions for women and newborns when complications occur, such as bleeding, fetal distress, hypertensive disease, and babies in abnormal position. They also have the advantage of being less painful, and avoiding aftereffects such as urinary incontinence and reduced sexual functioning.

But the procedure can lead to scarring of the womb, which heightens the risk of complications during future births, such as from bleeding, abnormal development of the placenta, ectopic pregnancy, stillbirth and preterm birth.

Guidelines from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) state women who ask for a caesarean should be offered one if, after support and discussion with a doctor, they feel it is best for them.

The study, compiled by several UK Universities, found common reasons why women request C-sections include past negative experiences of vaginal birth, fear of labour pains and of the risk of reduced quality of sex.

Prof Jane Sandall, of King’s College London, said: “Given the increasing use of C-section, particularly cases that are not medically required, there is a crucial need to understand the health effects on women and children.

“C-section is a type of major surgery, which carries risks that require careful consideration.

“The growing use of C-sections for non-medical purposes could be introducing avoidable complications, and we advocate that C-section should only be used when it is medically required.”

The rise in caesareans in Britain is in line with the international trend, which has seen C-section use almost double globally from 2000 to 2015.

Researchers found 60 per cent of countries were overusing the procedure and 25 per cent underusing it.

The figures also show that in at least 15 countries, C-section use exceeds 40 per cent.