Geneva : Concerned over the “epidemic” of caesarean sections globally, the WHO has advised that the procedure should only be performed when medically necessary as surgical intervention can have harmful effects on the mother and child.
“In many developing and developed countries we see an epidemic of caesarean sections even when there is no need. It is a safe method of delivery but it is still an operation, a surgical intervention that can have negative and harmful effects on the mother and child,” said Marleen Temmerman, Director of Reproductive Health and Research at WHO.
“It also has its consequences. You have a higher risk of bleeding and other complications. Even in developed countries if we see maternal mortality it is linked though not the only reason for caesarean section rates,” she added yesterday.
India had a c-section rate of 8.1 per cent in 2008, according to WHO although it has no figure of the more recent years.
Some middle-income countries like Brazil and European countries like Cyprus and Georgia have a more than 50 per cent rate of caesareans.
The Geneva-based global health organisation states the rates between ten to 15 per cent of c-sections for a country is healthy but a rate beyond that shows no correlation with improved mortality rates.
“Currently in all countries (c-section rates) have gone up and in some countries dramatically, and above a certain rate we do not make any positive health effects of mother and the baby,” she added.
Citing the reasons for such increase in the last 20 years, Temmerman said that the medical doctors started this trend of the “medicalisation of pregnancy”.
“You can see difference in deliveries that are led by midwives, you see less intervention and medicalisation of pregnancy done more by doctors.
“I am not saying nurses are better than doctors. When you have a normal pregnancy it can be done by midwives and nurses but when you have a complication you can go to a doctor. Also, it is much easier for doctors and hospitals to arrange logistics.”
She said that she is not sure if financial gains are one of the reasons for hospitals and doctors pushing for surgeries.
“We have seen countries where a doctor gets the same for a normal delivery than c-section or maybe a little bit less but still there is a rise. It is more a logistical than financial question,” the gynecologist and UN official said.
