Secretary Health and Medical Education on Sunday expressed concern over the increasing Caesarean delivery (C-section), a surgical procedure used to deliver a baby. Even though it has contributed more to the welfare of mankind and saved more lives than any other surgical intervention designed or devised till date, the frequency is alarming and against the WHO recommendations.
The Health Secretary rightly called for discussion by experts on addressing the concern over the C-Section including in district hospitals.
The etymology of the expression ‘Caesarean section’ is uncertain. Put otherwise, it ought to be used sparingly and resorted to only in emergencies.
The rising rate of C- Section is a major public health concern which results in risks associated with maternal and prenatal problems.
Time and again government functionaries said that the rise in the number of caesarean births have potential “negative health consequences for both mother as well as the infant and as such there is no potential evidence to support that C-section delivery has any positive benefit for either mother or infant who do not require the procedure.”
Nature has made elaborate arrangements for childbirth and resorting to artificial methods is not prudent. Experts say there are only two groups of indications for resorting to alternatives: Mechanical abnormalities or functional disorders of the genital organs or the passage; and an imminent danger to the foetus — when its stay any longer in the womb would be disastrous to itself, technically called foetal distress.
Experts have time and again stressed upon the officers to take all measures to address the issue of increasing trend of caesarean births rightly saying that all facilities must ensure C-section audit which is one of the effective non clinical interventions to tackle the issue. There is need to identify, review and take corrective measures to ascertain the causes and determinants of maternal and child deaths to prevent future mishaps.
To address the rising rates worldwide and prevent the harm to women and newborns resulting from overuse of this procedure, in 2018 the WHO published new recommendations on non-clinical interventions— those that are applied outside of the routine clinical interactions between a provider and pregnant woman— to reduce unnecessary caesarean sections.
There is a need to create awareness by the government to allow the foetus to “follow the royal road.” Also, there is a need for the administration, both J&K and the centre, to take action against those resorting to such a procedure outside the realm of the necessary interventions.
