Natural birth safe for 90% of women after C-section

A NATURAL birth may be possible for nine in ten women who have previously had a caesarean section, research suggests. Many mothers-to-be are concerned about giving birth following a C-section due to the risk of tearing the scar, which can rupture the womb.

But a study of 471 women who opted for a natural delivery after a caesarean found around 91% were able to achieve it.

Just three women suffered a rupture to the womb, which can cause severe bleeding.

Dr Kaname Uno, first author of the study from Toyota Memorial Hospital in Japan, said: ‘The results suggest that health professionals should be encouraged to have ongoing discussions with expectant mothers about the risks and benefits associated with each mode of delivery, which will allow them to make their own informed choices.’

Births by C-section have become much more common over the past decade in Irish maternity hospitals with a third of babies delivered this way.

When mums become pregnant again, this means a discussion with the midwife to decide whether to have another

C-section, which can lead to bleeding, infection and blood clots.

Instead they can opt for a natural birth – but this may cause the womb to tear and rupture, which in a small number of cases leads to the death of a baby.

The latest study, looking at 735 women who made the choice of how to give birth, found almost two-thirds decided to have a natural delivery.

This worked out as 471 women, all of whom previously had one or two caesareans.

The results showed that 430 managed to have a successful vaginal delivery.

The study, published in the journal BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth, is important because up to half of women who have C-sections are believed to do so due to having had one in the past.

Dr Uno said: ‘A potential risk for vaginal birth after previous caesarean is uterine rupture, which can occur along healed incisions from previous caesarean deliveries.

‘However, caesarean births themselves carry a risk of bleeding, infection and other complications.’

Commenting on the findings, Andrew Shennan, professor of obstetrics at King’s College London, said: ‘It is always better to avoid a caesarean where possible, because of the risks of surgery such as blood clots, infection and bleeding.’

A study of more than 74,000 births by Oxford University, published last year, found women trying to give birth following a C-section were seven times more likely to suffer from a ruptured womb.

‘Informed choices’