New research shows that a caesarean section increases the risk by fifty fold that a woman’s uterus will rupture during subsequent vaginal delivery. The findings are based on a study of more than 300,000 Swedish women by Emory University, Atlanta, and the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm.
Clinically obese women had more than twice the risk and inducing labour also doubled the chance than spontaneous labour. Chemicals used to induce birth may weaken previous caesarean scars, the research suggested. Late birth was also identified as a factor, regardless of whether or not they had previously had a caesarean section and women giving birth to babies over 4kg were at higher risk.
Mervi Jokinen, from the Royal College of Midwives, said the study highlighted the fact that caesarean carried a long-term risk to health.“We believe the caesarean rate should be between 10% and 15%, but at present it is 23% in the UK,” she commented.
