Latest
figures for 2023/24 show 42% of all deliveries were Caesarean.
The proportion has increased
steadily over the past decade, and experts say it is linked to a "growing
number" of more "complex" pregnancies - because the mother is
older or obese, for example.
But some mothers are choosing to
have a Caesarean - where the baby is delivered by surgeons cutting into the
mother's abdomen and womb - for non-medical reasons.
Last year,
of the 398,675 deliveries performed by the NHS in England - where the method of
starting labour was recorded -101,264 (25%) were Caesarean births.
Of those, 67,100 were a planned or
"elective" procedure.Data shows a further 32,463 deliveries were
started by Caesarean and carried out as an emergency - due to urgent health
concerns for the mother or baby which arose before labour could start
spontaneously or be induced, for example.
Overall,
there were 225,762 deliveries by Caesarean in 2023/24 (42% of all deliveries),
of which 99,783 were elective and 125,979 were registered as emergency
Caesareans. In comparison, a decade ago in 2013/14, 166,081 deliveries - 26% -
were by Caesarean.
'Rising rates'
Royal
College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) president, Dr Ranee Thakar,
said complex births were a "major factor". "We are seeing
national rising rates of obesity and people choosing to have children at a
later state in their life, both of which can increase the chance of
complications," she said. The likelihood of a Caesarean increased with the
mother's age.
And for
those aged over 39, it was the most common method of onset and delivery. Most
women under 30 had "spontaneous" labour without medical intervention,
and the most common method of delivery was vaginal births. A third of all
deliveries were induced, meaning labour was started using artificial methods
such as a hormone drip or a pessary. The RCOG does not promote one form of
birth over another.
'Major
operation'
Experts say women should have a choice about how they give birth, whenever circumstances allow it and it is deemed safe. The NHS recently removed a limit on how many Caesareans it performs. Previously maternity units were encouraged to promote vaginal births and keep the Caesarean rate to about 20%. But NHS advice now says women have the right to a planned Caesarean if it is considered safe for mother and baby. An NHS spokesman said: "A Caesarean is a major operation that comes with risks, so it's usually done when it's the safest option for women and their baby. "However, some do choose to have a C-section for a non-medical reason.
"NHS maternity teams across the
country are fully committed to providing the safest and most personalised care
possible to all women, according to best-practice guidance and informed by
evidence, to help them to achieve the type of birth they would like."
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