New Study Highlights Risks of C-Section Delivery

A recent study found that babies delivered by Cesarean, which accounts for approximately one-third of all births in the U.S., could have an increased risk for some types of chronic conditions. This study follows on the heels of another study published in December 2014 that also showed an increased risk for some types of immunological disorders in babies born by C-section.

In addition to the risks documented in these studies, concerns over C-section mistakes should also lead to careful consideration before a Cesarean is performed.

C-section linked to diabetes, asthma

The most recent study, published in the British Medical Journal, found that babies born by C-section have a higher risk of chronic conditions like asthma, type 1 diabetes and obesity later in life. The study, conducted by Dr. Jianmen Liu of Peking University and Dr. Jan Blustein of New York University’s School of Medicine, discovered 23 studies connecting Cesareans to asthma, 20 studies linking C-sections to diabetes, and another nine studies relating C-section deliveries to obesity. However, the analysis did not indicate the actual cause and effect between Cesarean births and these chronic conditions.

“It is clear that Cesarean-born children have worse health, but further research is needed to establish whether it is the Cesarean that causes the disease, or whether other factors are at play,” Dr. Blustein stated. The researcher added that determining the cause and effect will likely take many years of research. In the meantime, physicians must make decisions based on the evidence that currently exists, which indicates Cesarean births could have implications in the long-term health of the newborn.

Additional study finds immune disorder risk

These results follow on the heels of another study published in the journal Pediatrics in December 2014. This large study from researchers at the Danish Child Asthma Center at Copenhagen University Hospital found that babies born by C-section had a higher incidence of chronic immune disorders due to defects in the immune system. These conditions included asthma, leukemia, inflammatory bowel disorder (IBD) and juvenile rheumatoid arthritis.

Dangers associated with vaginal births, such as shoulder dystocia and brachial plexus injury are widely documented. However, risks linked to Cesarean delivery have not been as well researched to date, according to Dr. Blustein. These results will likely pave the way for additional research to determine whether C-sections cause these problems or other factors are to blame.

Dangers of delivery errors

There is also a difference between risks associated with Cesarean delivery and those linked to C-section mistakes. When a Cesarean is ordered too late or performed incorrectly, it can be a dangerous situation for both a mother and her unborn child. While the standard vaginal delivery is considered safer than a Cesarean, mistakes during vaginal deliveries can also become dangerous for the mother and child. Problems like failing to act on signs of fetal distress or applying improper traction or maneuvers during a difficult vaginal delivery can result in serious and even lifelong injuries.

If negligence on the part of medical staff played a role in those errors, a birth injury malpractice lawsuit may be the next step. Legal action allows parents to pursue compensation for injuries, medical expenses and other non-economic losses suffered by the parents and their child. It also holds a hospital and the staff that attended the delivery liable for any errors that occurred.

Resources Resources