Caesarean section rates have nearly doubled worldwide since 2000

The number of women cesarean delivery has recently doubled in the world since 2000, reaching about 21%, reveals a new study.

This is significantly higher than the 10 to 15% considered medically necessary, researchers said.

When complications develop, caesareans can save the lives of mothers and their babies. But the operation is not without risk and has been linked to difficulties for future births.

"The sharp increase in the use of caesareans – mainly in richer environments for non-medical purposes – is worrisome because of the risks for women Marleen Temmerman, principal author of three studies published on October 11 The lancet.

Temmerman is professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the Aga Khan University in Nairobi, Kenya.

On a global scale, C-sections has increased by almost 4% per year between 2000 and 2015, the study reveals. This represents 16 million of the 132 million live births in 2000 and 30 million of the 141 million live births in 2015.

The fastest increase (6%) occurred in South Asia, where researchers reported that cesarean deliveries were underutilized in 2000 but overused 15 years later.

Caesareans were also overexploited in North America, Western Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, where rates had increased by about 2% per year during the 2000-2015 study period. North only, births increased by about 24%. percent to 32 percent during this period, the study found.

Fifteen countries, including Mexico and Cuba, had caesarean section rates of over 40%.

Some women choose an unscheduled caesarean delivery because it allows them to avoid the pain and uncertain timing of natural work. Caesarean section is medically necessary for complications such as bleeding, high blood pressure or the baby is in an abnormal position in the uterus, putting his mother or child in danger.

But the researchers found that the procedure was inaccessible to many women in low-income countries and overused in many middle- and high-income countries.

The study found that six out of ten countries do too much caesarean section and that a quarter actually do too little. In addition, there are big differences between the rich and the poor, the public and private sectors and between regions.

"In cases of complications, cesareans save lives and we need to improve accessibility in the poorest regions, making cesareans universally available, but we should not abuse them," Temmerman said in a statement. Press.

For the three studies, researchers used data from 169 countries from the World Health Organization's databases and from UNICEF. One study dealt with disparities around the world. A second examined the harmful effects of overuse and underutilization of cesarean deliveries, and the third examined ways to limit unnecessary losses.

The publication of the three studies coincided with their presentation at a meeting of the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics, which was scheduled to begin Sunday in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.