Many people believe the term cesarean come from Julius Caesar. His mother supposedly survived Julius delivery through her abdomen. At that time, her survival is remarkable for such surgery usually took the lives of most mothers.



Whether a cesarean section is an elective surgery or emergency surgery, the reason it should be done must be to save the life of both mother and baby and their health concerns. About five percent of all births are complicated enough to need c-section. In US, the rates of birth by c-section have been raising to over 1 in 4 births according to studies.

When compared to other nations, the US ranks 15 in infant mortality rate currently. Even though that we have the most advance health care facilities, when it comes to cesarean section, there seems to be no correlation of improved health for mothers and babies.

The risk present in a cesarean section is generally the same risk faced with any traditional abdominal surgery. Maternal complications from surgical delivery may include uterine infection, urinary tract infection, wound infection, anesthesia complications, and unexplained abdominal pain. In some cases it may even result in death!

In a French study, it was found that undergoing a cesarean section puts women at three times the risk of dying than with vaginal birth. Women who had c-section may feel guilty, cheated and inadequate in being a mother after the experience. Some psychological consequences may develop in her. These are depression, anger, frustration and even bitterness towards the doctor who performed the cesarean section.

There are also some risks to a baby born from a c-section. The most common are a lack of alertness, respiratory distress syndrome, drug complications and some other risks. Mothers are usually separated from babies because of her need to recover. This may cause the baby not able to receive colostrum from breast milk, further disadvantaging the baby.

Because of these concerns regarding cesarean section, it is always be well informed of the development of child birth. Cesarean section must be avoided whenever possible. Most babies can be delivered normally; about 5 percent of births necessitate a c-section delivery in order to save the life of the mother or baby. Seek the advice of another doctor if you need to.