Repeat C-Sections Don’t Harm Babies’ Health, New Study Claims

A new study suggests that women can have a repeat Cesarean section without worrying about their babies' health. The researchers have found there were no significant differences between the health of children whose mothers had a second planned C-section and those who chose natural delivery.

Time reported that the recent study, published in the journal PLOS Medicine, made a comparison on how children delivered by second C-section fared at five years, compared to those who were born through vaginal birth. The comparison was done by studying the second-born children of a group of women in Scotland who had undergone C-section.

The researchers, led by Dr. Mairead Black of University of Aberdeen, assessed the children if they manifest health conditions like asthma, obesity, cerebral palsy, learning disabilities and death. They also divided the children into two groups as to whether they were born in a planned or unplanned C-section.

Black and her team discovered that babies born by planned C-section have a 24 percent higher risk of hospitalization for asthma by the age of five compared to those delivered naturally. Other than asthma, they found that there are no considerable differences between the children when it comes to other health measures.

"These results are reassuring for women who are considering a planned Cesarean and worried about how it might affect the health of their babies," Black said. She, however, noted that there is a need for further studies to support the results with a more comprehensive documentation.

Despite the findings, some experts still believe that a natural delivery is still the safest option after the first C-section. Professor Alan Cameron, of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, told the Daily Mail that a natural delivery has fewer complications for both the mother and the baby.

"Overall, existing evidence suggests that for women who have had a previous Cesarean section, a vaginal birth in the next pregnancy has fewer complications than a repeat Cesarean section for both mother and baby," Cameron explained. "However, it is important for women to know that both Cesarean section and vaginal birth after a previous Cesarean section are safe and that when reaching a decision about the type of delivery they want, their individual circumstances and preferences should be taken into account."