Gynaecologist advises pregnant women with HIV to opt for caesarean birth – The Eagle Online

A Gynaecologist, Dr Jones Owolabi, has advised pregnant women who are HIV-positive to opt for delivery of their babies through caesarean section.
Owolabi told the News Agency of Nigeria on Thursday in Ilorin that women living with HIV could not give birth through normal delivery without infecting their babies with HIV.
According to him, many babies have been infected by HIV through normal birth cbad delivery and some babies have lost their lives in this process.
He said: “It is advisable for HIV infected pregnant women to adopt caesarean section in order to protect babies from HIV infection.”
Owolabi said most doctors preferred caesarean section for women with HIV because chances were that the baby would be infected.
However, he enjoined HIV positive expectant mothers to opt for caesarean delivery only if the lives of baby and mother are at great risk during labour.
According to him, elective caesarean delivery cause women to lose more blood than the normal delivery through the birth cbad and wounds from surgical incision can be infected if care is not taken.
The expert also noted that giving birth to a baby through caesarian section has its attendant risks.
He described C-section as an operation which allows a baby to be born through a cut made into their mother’s abdominal wall and uterus.
Owolabi said: “During a normal delivery a baby is born as it comes out through the mother’s bad, but with a caesarean section delivery the baby is born as it comes through a surgical incision or cut which has been made into the mother’s abdomen.” He explained that in the process of caesarean section, women may lose a lot of blood and if adequate care is not taken, the wounds from the operation can be infected.
The medical practitioner, however, noted that though, women in some countries such as the United States of America and United Kingdom most times elect C-section opt for giving birth through operation, it is still a good procedure done to save the babies lives.
He further emphasised that there is 13 per cent risk for women delivering babies through caesarian section out of 100,000 women.
He said: “caesarean section is not difficult as people see it.
“Doctors are meant to try their best in saving lives; but it is only God that crowns our efforts.”