Caesarean Births To Be Allowed On Request

Women are to be allowed to have their baby by caesarean section, even if they have no medical reason for the operation.

Controversial new guidelines issued by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (Nice) say women should be allowed to have a C-section as long as they have first been counselled about the risks.

Previous guidelines warned that "maternal request" was not an acceptable reason for a caesarean.

But the increasing safety of the procedure in recent years has led some obstetricians to relax the rules.

The watchdog�insists that its new advice reflects current practice and will not mean every woman is offered a caesarean.

Deputy chief executive Dr Gillian Leng said: "This guideline is not about giving free caesareans for all on the NHS.�

"It is about ensuring that women give birth in the way that is most appropriate for them and their babies."

Obstetrician Malcolm Griffiths, who chaired the panel that wrote the guidelines, said most women want a natural delivery, not surgery.

"Caesarean section is a major operation - it's about as major as a hysterectomy," he said.

Women take longer to recover from a caesarean than a straightforward natural birth, and it can have implications for future pregnancies.

Currently one in four births is by caesarean. Between a third and a half are planned, usually because of medical reasons.

Nice believes the new guidelines will result in fewer women having the operation because those with a fear of childbirth will be offered mental health intervention to ease their anxiety.

But Tracey Johnston, clinical director of maternity services at the Birmingham Women's Hospital, disagreed and warned the guidelines will have an impact on hospitals.

"There is no doubt that the extra caesarean sections will put pressure on theatre time, on ward space because the women stay in hospital longer, and it's more expensive so it is a pull on resources."

A planned caesarean costs around �2,369 - around �700 more on average than a natural delivery.

The Royal College of Midwives said it was "inappropriate" for caesareans to be offered without good medical reasons.�

It warned that a shortage of midwives at a time of a rise in complex births was already putting maternity services under strain.

Mum Rhonda McDougall said the new guidelines were long overdue.�

She had to battle the medical profession to have her baby Alyssa delivered surgically, and finally got her way with the help of information from the Elective Caesarean website.

She said: "I did not want to be treated like an idiot hormonal woman, being told: 'This is how it works and this is what you were made for, so just do it.'

"I was informed. I came across the website and knew the pros and cons and that was my choice. At the end of the day it is my body."

Source: http://uk.news.yahoo.com/caesarean-births-allowed-request-021737650.html

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