Caesarean section

A caesarean section (cesarean section AE), or C-section, is a form of childbirth in which a surgical incision is made through a mother's abdomen (laparotomy) and uterus (hysterotomy) to deliver one or more babies. It is usually performed when a vaginal delivery would lead to medical complications.

Indications

Obstetricians or other care-providers recommend caesarean section when vaginal delivery might pose a risk to the mother or baby. Possible reasons for Caesarean delivery include:

Related Topics:
Obstetrician - Vagina

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• prolonged labour (or failure to progress) (dystocia)
• apparent fetal distress
• apparent maternal distress or complications such as pre-eclampsia, eclampsia
• multiple births
• abnormal presentation, i.e.breech presentation
• failed induction of labour
• failed instrumental delivery
• the baby is too large (macrosomia)
• the mother has a low-lying placenta or placenta praevia
• contracted pelvis
• evidence of intrauterine infection
• previous caesarean section (though this is controversial – see discussion below)
• prior problems with healing of the perineum, such as from childbirth or Crohn's Disease

Note, however, that different providers may disagree about when a caesarean is required. For example, one obstetrician may feel that a woman is too small to deliver her baby, another might well disagree. Similarly, some care providers may be much quicker to cite "failure to progress" than others. Disagreements like this help to explain why Caesarean rates for some doctors and hospitals are much higher than are those for others.

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