The percentage of babies born by caesarean section in Canada is at an all-time high, exposing mothers to increased risks, says the Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.
From 1993 to 2006, the rate of C-sections increased from 17.6 per cent up to 26.3 per cent -- more than one in four children.
For a low-risk childbirth that is progressing normally, C-sections create substantially longer recovery times for mothers, says the SOGC. They also present greater risks of complications such as infection, bleeding, scarring, chronic pelvic pain, and damage to the intestines or bladder.
C-sections also make a repeat C-section more likely in a subsequent pregnancy.
As a result, the SOGC is urging women and healthcare professionals to opt for C-sections only when medically necessary.
"We need to educate the public, we need to educate the practitioners on the reality that as we know, it's safest to have a vaginal delivery," SOGC president Dr. Guylaine Lefebvre told Â鶹´«Ã½.
Planned, medically unnecessary C-sections are becoming fashionable, especially among A-list Hollywood stars who deem themselves too posh to push. But some women may simply be intimidated by the process of having a baby.
"A lot of women are coming to class with the fear that they are having a big baby and sometimes they are offered a caesarean section," said childbirth educator Erin Shaheen.
Officials worry that the high number of C-sections being conducted is placing a strain on the healthcare system.
Dr. Andr� Lalonde, SOGC executive vice-president, said the increase has imposed an "excess burden on a maternity care system that is already facing a shortage of obstetricians and other health professionals."
Many factors contributed to the increase in C-sections, including rising obesity rates and the trend for women to delay pregnancy until later in life, said Lefebvre.
Still, the organization said contributing factors such as the effects of the current shortage of maternity care providers or the role of changing patient and physician attitudes about intervention in childbirth are not as clearly understood.
With a report by CTV's Rosemary Thompson in Ottawa
