One in four babies are now born by caesarean section
One in four babies are now born by caesarean section, meaning that injuries from complex natural births are potentially being avoided.
I am representing a mother whose son has brain damage due extensive haemorrhages during induced labour after she was repeatedly refused a c-section at West Hertfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust.
The woman is petite, with type 1 diabetes and her baby was on the 95th percentile for size during gestation. She became extremely anxious about the birth and requested an elective c-section on numerous occasions. Dismissing her concerns, the consultant tried to persuade her to have an induction instead – something she was vehemently against.
The NHS guidance states that if after discussing her options with a healthcare professional a woman still feels that a vaginal birth is not an acceptable option, she should be offered a planned c-section. "If your doctor is unwilling to perform the operation, they should refer you to a doctor who will," it says.
This was not the case for my client, who was repeatedly told a c-section was not an option by her consultant, who in doing so was in breach of the National Institute of Clinical Excellence (NICE) RCOG guidelines.
Of 398,675 births in England last year, 101,264 were by c-section, according to the Royal College Obstetricians and Gynaecologists.
Experts put the increase down to a growing number of complex births – due to obesity, health conditions and women having children older. C-sections can be lifesaving and in many cases are the last option during a labour where nothing has gone to plan.
An increasing number of women are also exercising their right to make an informed decision about their birth and opting for planned c-sections, for personal or medical reasons. 67,100 c-sections last year were recorded as elective – an increase of 6,000 more than the previous year.
It is a significant procedure, accompanied by all the risks – and costs – of major surgery.
Dr Reene Thakar, president of the RCOG, said the College did not promote “one form of birth over another". However, until recently maternity units were set targets to keep the c-section rate to 20% and promote natural births, which influenced decisions of care.
In my client's case, her consultant's negligent actions had devasting consequences. With competent care, she would have been booked for delivery by caesarean section at 37 weeks and her son born without injury. He is now four years old and has been robbed of the chance to develop like other children his age.
Read more about Birth Injury Claims.