IIT study finds rise in Indian women opting for C-sections; here's why

There has been a sharp increase in the number of surgical births that took place between the years 2016 and 2021.

The study conducted by researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology (Madras) found the prevalence of cesarean sections increased from 17.2 percent to 21.5 percent in five years, making the procedure way more common across the country.

Comparing the numbers obtained from Chhattisgarh and Tamil Nadu, the study found that though high-risk pregnancies were more prevalent in Chhattisgarh, Tamil Nadu exceeded in the number of surgical births.

The experts implied that clinical reasons alone were not driving women to opt for a surgical childbirth. 

Though cesarean surgeries are life-saving procedures, there has been an uptick in the rate of unnecessary surgical births, causing long term complications for both the mother and the child.

What did the study find out?

Better medical facilities are an important factor driving the rise of cesarean surgeries in India, with nearly one in two deliveries in the private hospitals is a C-section, the report said.

Women living in urban areas were more likely to opt for surgical childbirth to have more bodily autonomy.

Similarly, the odds for overweight women (ages 35-49) going for C-section were twice that of those underweight, with a sharp increase in the percentage (from 3 percent to 18.7 percent) of obese women choosing a surgical cut for childbirth.

Personal choice, socio-economic factors, improved technology and doctors practicing conservative medicine were a few influential factors causing people to go for C-sections, the study found.

Who is eligible for C-section?

Not all the cesarean sections carried out in the present are for medical reasons, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said.

Also known as abdominal birth, cesarean sections are performed in situations of prolonged or obstructed labour, undesirable position of the foetus, hypertensive emergencies, chronic disease in the mother like diabetes, uterine abnormalities, heavy bleeding and other pre-existing comorbidities.

As per WHO, the cesarean rates should ideally range between 10 to 15 percent as any rate beyond it is not associated with better maternal or fetal health.

Potential risks with cesarean surgery

While often perceived as an easy alternative to labour-induced birth, cesarean surgeries come with long term risks:

• Injury to an organ like bowel or bladder.

• Post-operative bleeding and wound.

• Post -operative infections

• Blood clots

• Respiratory emergencies

• Reaction to anesthesia

• Prolonged period for recovery.

Thus, many women are not aware that an unnecessary cesarean can increase their risk for infection and potential complications in the subsequent pregnancies.