Motherhood is a beautiful part of a woman’s life. As someone who is expecting, you would want nothing more than delivering a healthy baby in the world. And so, you would take care of every essential detail – whether it is the nutrition you are giving yourself or the type of delivery you would have.
One of those types of deliveries is C-section. A C-section is a surgical procedure in which the baby is delivered through an incision made in the mother’s abdominal wall and uterus. A baby will need to be born by this procedure if there are serious problems that prevent normal vaginal birth. C-sections are conducted by specialised obstetricians (doctors who care for pregnant women before, during, and after birth) and some family physicians. C-sections cannot be performed by midwives.
Although caesarean section is a relatively safe operation and can be a lifesaving procedure when medically indicated, like every surgery, it can lead to short-term and long-term health effects for the mother and her baby. Possible complications include infection, damage to internal organs, an increased risk of respiratory distress for the baby and complications with future pregnancies.
In this blog, we will go further into details about what these are here. Depending on your specific situation, your healthcare provider will be able to provide you with more information about what they mean for you. By understanding the potential advantages and disadvantages of a caesarean section can help you make an informed decision.
Risks of having a C-section
A caesarean section may put you and your unborn child at greater danger. While there is no guarantee that you will experience these things, your chances will be higher if you deliver vaginally.
The risks that you could have include:
- Infection from urine, the womb, or wound – causing redness, swelling, and increasing pain
- Longer hospital stays following the birth ((3 to 5 days, or 72 to 120 hours, on average)
- Longer recovery
- Bleeding that requires a blood transfusion
- Abdominal pain
- Blood clots in the legs
- Infection in the lining of the uterus
- Pain around the wound
- Problems with future attempts at vaginal birth
- A need for a caesarean section for future births
- complications from the anaesthetic.
Risks to your baby could include:
There is growing evidence that newborns born via caesarean section have distinct exposures to microbes, drugs, hormones, and physical stimuli, and that these exposures can somewhat modify the physiology of the developing baby. Other short-term risks include:
- Reduced intestinal gut microbiota diversity
- An increased incidence of allergy
- Atopy
- Asthma
- Altered immunological development.
- A surgical incision that normally heals fast and is of minor severity
- Breathing issues that cause them to breathe too fast for a few days after birth (transient tachypnea of the newborn). This happens especially if your baby is born before 39 weeks of pregnancy.
- A minor risk of injury — usually just accidental nicks and scrapes — to your baby’s skin during the surgical procedure.
Long-term health outlook after a C-section
It is believed that babies delivered through c-section may have a higher risk of developing asthma or become obese. Nevertheless, the long-term health effects of caesarean sections on children have been studied. There is insufficient data to suggest that children born via caesarean delivery are at an increased risk of childhood obesity until the age of twelve and asthma until the age of five.
It’s unclear why there is a greater chance. One theory is that the mother’s vagina does not harbour bacteria that the infant would come into contact with. These bacteria are found in the intestines of babies delivered vaginally. Although there is still considerable disagreement, researchers believe they may shield infants from obesity and asthma in childhood. The risk may also be impacted by other factors, such as the mother’s health.
Link to future pregnancies
Having a C-section delivery may — or may not — affect future pregnancies. After a caesarean surgery, most women are able to give birth vaginally with success and safety. However, in some circumstances, particularly if the uterine incision was vertical rather than horizontal, subsequent deliveries could need to be C-sectioned. A woman who has had a C-section may also be more susceptible to placental issues in subsequent pregnancies.
Closing thoughts
Numerous studies have connected various health issues to caesarean sections. It is unclear whether C-sections genuinely increase the likelihood of developing medical issues because many of these studies are limited and only report preliminary findings. Although it is commonly known that many C-sections performed in India are not medically required. For many mothers and babies, a C-section is still the safest delivery choice. Consult your doctor about the potential effects of a C-section on you and your baby’s health.
