What's the big deal with Cesarean Sections???

[Motherdragon]

The following Fact Sheet was taken directly from:

http://birthamiracle.wordpress.com/2008/07/29/what-is-the-big-deal-with-cesarean-section/

Maternal risks during current cesarean and recovery:

1. Four times more likely to die than women having a vaginal birth

2. Infection of the incision or uterus 4.4 times more likely than after a vaginal birth

3. Hemmorage - blood loss is about twice as much as in a vaginal birth, and 1 in 6 women having a cesarean require a blood transfusion

4. Decreased bowel function following delivery

5. Maternal respitory problems as a result of anesthesia, including pneumonia

6. Reactions to anesthesia and other surgical medications, such as a sudden drop in blood pressure, one article linked below reported cardiac arrest as a risk of epidural anesthesia during cesarean section

7. Additional surgeries to correct mistakes made during the cesarean, such as bladder repair (1 in 50 women)

8. Blood clots in veins, which can travel to the heart and cause a heart attack, are 5.5 times more likely than after a vaginal birth

9. Nausea and vomiting

10. Severe headaches

11. Hysterectomy - more than 7 times as many women have/require a hysterectomy immediately following a cesarean than those who had a vaginal birth

12. Adhesions in the uterine scar causing various complications, occuring in 52-73% of women after a cesarean

13. Emotional reactions are varied and stronger, including postpartum depression

14. Extended recovery - 1 in 14 women who had cesareans report pain 6 months following birth

Fetal Risks During Cesarean and Later in Life:

1. Premature birth leading to various complications, some as a result of lung immaturity. A recent study linked below reported that the recent drastic increase in singleton preterm delivery of babies 34-36 weeks is due almost entirely to being born by cesarean surgy

2. Immediate breathing problems such as tachypnea are twice as likely

3. Lower apgar scores - cesarean-born babies are 50% more likely to have low apgar scores than vaginal-born babies

4. Fetal injury during surgery - 1 or 2 per 100

5. Increased need for the neonatal intensive care unit - 9.8% of babies compared to 5.2% of vaginal-born babies

6. Mother-baby bonding issues

7. Less likely to be breastfed. One study linked below reported that cesarean-born babies were three times more likely to be weaned from breastmilk by the age of one month, indicating the difficulty of which cesarean mothers have in initiating breastfeeding after major surgery

8. Fetal death is almost 3 times more likely after a cesarean

9. Low birth weight

10. 52% more likely than vaginal-born babies to have asthma later in life

Maternal Risks in Pregnancies and Births following a Cesarean:

1. Infertility or reduced fertility. 52-73% of women develop adhesions following a cesarean. These adhesions often result in infertility

2. Uterine rupture. 1 in 1,000 women will experience uterine rupture during a trial of labor after cesarean, although it occurs just as frequently in women during a pregnancy following a cesarean, without trial of labor

3. Placenta previa (placenta grows over cervix) is 5 time more likely after a cesarean

4. Placenta accreta, increta, or percreta (the placenta grows into or through the uterine wall) is especially dangerous as 40% of women who experience it require at least 10 units of blood transfusion, nearly all have hysterectomies, 1 in 11 babies die and 1 in less than 14 mothers die. Accreta and percreta occur in nearly 1 per 100 cases of cesarean birth after at least one prior cesarean, compared to 1 per 1,000 in an unscarred uterus. The risk of both previa and accreta occuring at the same time is 35 times higher for a woman after a cesarean than with an unscarred uterus

5. Ectopic pregnancy is 50% more likely after two or more cesareans

6. Difficulty having a future vaginal birth. Although 60-80% of women who attempt a vaginal birth after cesarean can succeed, economic, social, and legal issues among other things, have brought the VBAC rate to less than 10%

7. Placenta abruption (where the placenta detaches from the wall of the uterus, which can lead to fetal death, is 2-4 times more likely to occur after a cesarean

Risks to future children relate to the frequency in complications in future pregnancies, and the increased potentional of being born by cesarean with it's risks.

Sources:

Mayo Clinic: Complete Book of Pregnancy and Baby's First Year

http://www.childbirth.org/section/CSFact.html

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/39907.php

http://www.midwife.org/siteFiles/news/REDUCEMarch20NewsRelease.pdf

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/41247.php

http://gateway.nlm.nih.gov/MeetingAbstracts/ma?f=102272723.html

http://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0002937806006077

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/35499.php

http://www.springerlink.com/content/b4n16184k2216557/

http://cat.inist.fr/?aModele=afficheN&cpsidt=3924351

http://besttreatments.bmj.com/btuk/conditions/1000766857.html

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080528095746.htm

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/108888.php

http://www.plus-size-pregnancy.org/CSANDVBAC/bfaftercesarean.htm

http://www.pregnancy-info.net/c-section_adhesions.html

http://www.vbac.com/

http://parenting.ivillage.com/pregnancy/plabor/0,,bgjt-p,00.html

http://www.mommyguide.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=48

Tags: baby, benefits, birth, birth center, breasfeeding, cesarean, cesarean section, childbirth, doctor, emotions, fetal distress, health, home, hospital, induction, intervention, labor, midwife, parenting, pregnancy | tagged pregnancy, risks, surgery

Add A Comment

[NoraDun]

Aug. 3, 2008 at 8:17 PM

You know how many women I hear say that because they had a couple c-sections the doctor wants them to get there tubes tied because it would be risky to have another child. Yet you don't commonly hear that with vaginal births you can give birth to as many kids as you want and the next will still be as safe. I love the pages you post Good Job!!

[amileegirl]

Aug. 3, 2008 at 9:23 PM

A lot of information there!   It is a terrifying thing that the USA has gotten to the point where there is a misconception about the c-section.  It is major surgery and the mentality is that it is no more worrisome than having a hangnail removed.   There is muscle and intestine and issues with the bowel before you even begin talking about the uterus!   Surgery is a serious, emergency measure.

[SxdUpAngel]

Aug. 3, 2008 at 10:08 PM

I think that an optional cesarean is up to the mother.  Had I not fought everyone to get mine, my son would be dead. 

[autodidact]

Aug. 7, 2008 at 2:52 PM

it really doesn't matter, you can't find a VBAC anyway, it's not like we have a choice.

[Motherdragon]

Aug. 7, 2008 at 7:09 PM

YOU MOST CERTAINLY DO HAVE A CHOICE!!!  You have the right to say NO to ANY MEDICAL PROCEDURE, unless life is in immediate danger.  NO ONE can put you under a knife without your concent without commiting CRIMINAL ASSULT AND BATTERY!  Say NO, HOLD TO IT, and the federal and supreme court WILL be behind you.  DON'T LET ANYONE TELL YOU OTHERWISE!!!

By LAW, you have the right to refuse any medical procedure, test, or drug!

THIS INCLUDES MATURNITY CARE

UPHELD BY:

Common Law

Case Law

Constitutional Law - The right to privacy and self-determination protected by the 1^st and 14^th Amendments.

Federal Law - The Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act and The Patient Self-Determination Act.

International Tort Law - Sometimes sited by US Law.

State Law

State Mandated Medical Ethics

The Ethical Guidelines of the American Medical Association (AMA)

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologist (AGOG)

This means that if a hospital or medical attendant goes against your informed refusal, they are be in violation of your rights under EMTALA. A formal complaint can be filed and the hospital and/or care giver will be charged with criminal assault and battery.  Always remember, you can say "NO"!!!

(Original Poster)