More babies are being born by caesarean section in England than delivered naturally – without assistance – for the first time.<\/p>\n
Latest NHS data for 2024-25 shows that 45% of births were by C-section, compared to 44% which were spontaneous, a term used to describe a natural vaginal birth. Another 11% needed extra support and interventions like forceps.<\/p>\n
Nearly half of the caesaereans – when the baby is delivered by surgeons cutting into the mother’s abdomen and womb – were planned in advance.<\/p>\n
NHS England says the increase is influenced by many factors, including women choosing to have this kind of birth and a rise in pre-existing conditions such as diabetes and obesity.<\/p>\n
Experts say the picture behind the figures is \u00ab\u00a0very complex\u00a0\u00bb.<\/p>\n
Dr Donna Ockenden, who is chairing an independent review into maternity services at Shrewsbury and Telford Hospitals, says it has been an \u00ab\u00a0evolving picture over time\u00a0\u00bb.<\/p>\n
\u00ab\u00a0We know there is an increasing maternal age, we know there is rising ill health. I also think previous experience will play a part.<\/p>\n
\u00ab\u00a0Birth trauma and having a caesarian section first time, may influence their decision to have a C-section the second time round.\u00a0\u00bb<\/p>\n
For many women, having a C-section (also known as a caesarean) is a matter of choice.<\/p>\n
Over the past 10 years, the number of caesareans has doubled.<\/p>\n
Dr Alison Wright, president of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists said part of this was down to improvements \u00ab\u00a0in our ability to detect when a baby’s wellbeing is deteriorating during labour, and therefore respond appropriately\u00a0\u00bb.<\/p>\n
Soo Downe, a professor of midwifery studies at the University of Lancashire, says there are many factors contributing to the rise.<\/p>\n
\u00ab\u00a0The average age of being a mother has only gone up by one year over the past decade, and women’s BMI [Body Mass Index] has only increased very slightly.<\/p>\n
\u00ab\u00a0This doesn’t explain this very rapid rise that has happened over the last 10 years.\u00a0\u00bb<\/p>\n
She suggests part of the picture is a growing number of women who feel a caesarean is the \u00ab\u00a0the least worst option\u00a0\u00bb because there is a fear they might not get the support they need for a \u00ab\u00a0safe straightforward positive labour\u00a0\u00bb.<\/p>\n
Maternity services in England have been heavily criticised, with reviews into maternity care ongoing at 14 NHS trusts.<\/p>\n
An NHS spokesperson said: \u00ab\u00a0All women should receive safe, personalised maternity care in line with best practice guidance and clinical evidence.<\/p>\n
\u00ab\u00a0The priority should always be the safety and wellbeing of both mothers and babies, and decisions about how a baby is born are made through informed discussions that consider individual circumstances, clinical advice and a woman’s preferences, ensuring the safest and most appropriate approach for each birth.\u00a0\u00bb<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
More babies are being born by caesarean section in England than delivered naturally – without assistance – for the first time. Latest NHS data for 2024-25 shows that 45% of births were by C-section, compared to 44% which were spontaneous, a term used to describe a natural vaginal birth. Another 11% needed extra support and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-9573","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-uncategorized"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/placedesnations.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9573","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/placedesnations.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/placedesnations.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/placedesnations.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9573"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/placedesnations.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9573\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/placedesnations.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9573"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/placedesnations.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9573"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/placedesnations.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9573"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}