Babies delivered by Caesarean section (C-section) are more likely to be obese children than those born naturally.
This is the findings of a study published in the journal ‘JAMA Paediatrics’. Experts at Harvard School of Public Health in Boston in the United States (U.S) found children whose mothers underwent Caesarean section for their delivery were 15 per cent more likely to be obese by the time they were in their teens.
Similarly, the researchers found that increased risk may persist in the affected children through adulthood. The use of C-sections to deliver babies is growing in Nigeria following some complications that make the procedure safer for both mothers and babies.
The huge of procuring C section however remain a challenge for families in poor settings. C-section is the use of surgery to deliver one or more babies and it is often performed when a vaginal delivery would put the baby or mother at risk. Circumstances that could warrant C-section may include obstructed labour, twin pregnancy, high blood pressure in the mother, breech birth, problems with the placenta, umbilical cord or shape of the pelvis, and previous C-section. Some C-sections are also performed upon request. However, the World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends that as C-section should be done based on medical need and in many cases they are lifesaving for the mother and baby.
Although in many cases, the operation is necessary to avoid complications, doctors are increasingly aware it may have a knock-on impact on the child later in life. Experts think this is mainly because babies removed directly from the womb were never exposed to the beneficial bacteria they would get through a natural birth. Passing through the birth canal primes their immune system and helps prepare their metabolism for the rigours of life, scientists think.
The new study tracked more than 22,000 people from birth. The researchers examined the participants when they were aged between nine and 14, and found that those who had been born via Csection were 15 per cent more likely to be obese than those who underwent a natural birth. They re-examined the participants again when they were aged between 20 and 28, and found that the impact persisted – although it had dropped to a 10 per cent difference.
The effect of C-section and natural births was even more stark within families, the researchers found.
By: Appolonia Adeyemi
New Telegraph News
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