Rise of older mothers sees third of births being induced

ALMOST a third of mothers-to-be now have labour induced, which experts have blamed on older women having babies and obesity levels.

Latest NHS figures show 31.6 per cent of pregnancies were induced in 2017/18, a trend which has been rising over the years – in 2007/08, just 20.4 per cent of deliveries were induced.

The latest maternity data also shows the proportion of caesarean sections undertaken before the onset of labour increased from 15.5 per cent to 16.2 per cent in a year. Ten years ago, 11 per cent of deliveries were caesareans before the onset of labour.

NHS Digital said the proportion of caesarean births increases with age, and account for 45 per cent of deliveries to women 40 and over. Older first-time mothers and those who are obese face much higher risks of complications giving birth naturally.

Dr Pat O’Brien, of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, said: ‘The age at which women are having their first baby has increased due to a variety of social, professional and financial reasons, and a woman is likely to be overweight or obese the older she is.

‘While caesareans and induction of labour are safe procedures that can reduce harm from these complications, there may be risks for mother and baby.’

When comparing deliveries by age group, NHS Digital said women aged 30-39 showed the largest percentage increase since 2007/08, up 7 per cent in 2017/18. Meanwhile, deliveries among women under 20 have more than halved since 2007/08, with 18,548 in 2017/18.

The figures show there were 626,000 deliveries in NHS hospitals during 2017/18, a decrease of 1.6 per cent from the year before. This is the lowest reported level in the past ten years.