Practicing Cesarean and the Respiratory Health of Babies

When doctors decide to perform a scheduled cesarean delivery when there is no medical reason can very harmful to the respiratory health of the baby because it increases the breathing problems of the newborn. As pointed by the British Medical Journal the complications associated with planned cesarean section could be attributed to the absence of hormonal activity and physiological changes that are triggered during a scheduled cesarean childbirth.

Researchers warn that respiratory problems are increasing in babies that born by elective cesarean, referred when made before the normal term or without a clear indication as compared with the vaginally child birth or by an emergency cesarean section after the beginning of childbirth.

If the birth occurs spontaneously, the fetus responds to the rupture of the membranes with an increased level of catecholamine, molecules that stimulate the release of surfactant, a substance essential for the correct function of the newborn respiratory system. This mechanism does not occur if cesarean section is carried out before the start of childbirth. In fact, other studies have shown lower levels of catecholamine and changes in lung function in babies' born by scalpel respect to those born in a natural vaginal way.

The study reviewed records of healthy babies born with a gestational age of between 37 and 41 weeks, and compared the respiratory health of children born by cesarean section and those proposed for planned vaginal delivery this includes those that finally were born through an abdominal scalpel cut practiced by emergency.

After excluding certain maternal factors that may cause respiratory alterations in neonates like age, weight, alcohol consumption or snuff found that the rate of lung problems the distress, persistent pulmonary hypertension or other more serious that they require ventilation increases the more cesarean section went ahead and reduced if going to the operating room is delayed. The situation when cesarean delivery is a safer alternative than a vaginal birth is when babies are in a breech and dangerous position. But when babies are in a headfirst position, the risk of a baby dying or suffering some complication was 1 ½ times higher when an elective non emergency cesarean section was performed.

The doctor knows for sure what is safer for the baby and the mother, but some times their decisions are not related to the health of their patients and are more related to their schedule. The mother have the right to ask and to obtain good information if your doctor is not able to provide you with clear reasons for the scheduled cesarean procedure maybe its time to seek other opinion or change your doctor.