A new study, published in the journal PLOS Medicine, suggests that in women who had a cesarean section during their first births, it is insignificant, but the risk of stillbirth and ectopic pregnancy in the future is increasing, according to the Internet publication for girls and women aged 14 to 35 Pannochka. net A research team from University College London, led by Professor Louise Kenny, says that their discovery can significantly affect obstetric practice around the world.

The frequency of caesarean section has been steadily increasing over the years.

According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the frequency of this procedure has increased by 60% over the period from 1996 to 2009 - from 20.7% to 32.9% of all births.

This procedure, which involves extracting an infant through a uterus incision, is associated with a number of health problems for the child in the future. Last year, Medical News Today reported that babies born with caesarean section have a 5-fold greater risk of allergic diseases. And recently, scientists have discovered that a cesarean section is associated with a risk of obesity in children when they reach adolescence.

In a recent study, supported by the National Center for Perinatal Epidemiology (Ireland), scientists focused on the consequences of cesarean delivery for the following pregnancies.

In the course of its work, the team relied on the analysis of the Danish national registry (Danish national registry), which included 832,996 women who first gave birth between 1982 and 2010.

Women were divided into groups, depending on the mode of delivery - natural delivery or cesarean section. All women were observed until the next birth, miscarriage or ectopic pregnancy.

Using the methods of statistical modeling, the team of scientists evaluated the frequency of complications of pregnancy in both groups.

They estimated that women who had a cesarean section at first birth had a 14% higher risk of stillbirth (absolute risk of 0.03%) and a 9% higher risk of ectopic pregnancy (absolute risk 0.1%) compared with women giving birth for the first time in a natural way.

The team states that they did not find a connection between cesarean section and miscarriage in the second pregnancy.

The risk is small, but it exists.

Researchers emphasize that the risk is insignificant. For example, for every 3,000 caesarean section operations, there may be only one additional case of stillbirth in the next pregnancy.

It is important to understand that a cesarean section can be a vital procedure, so in such circumstances it is not necessary to take into account a slight increase in the risk of complications in the long term. Cesarean section often helps to save a child's life in case of unsuccessful births by natural means.

Scientists add: "The results of this study are especially important for future mothers and health professionals, because they warn about possible problems associated with the procedure that is being performed more and more often in the world. But the incidence of stillbirth, miscarriages and ectopic pregnancy is also increasing at a dangerous rate. These results give doctors a better understanding of all the risks associated with this or that way of delivery, and women are helped to give informed consent, considering all the possible consequences ".

But scientists also emphasize once again that such a minor risk should be taken into account only if it is a Caesarean section without acute medical necessity. In cases when it comes to the health and life of the mother and the child, these data are not of particular importance in making a decision.

"Given the importance of stillbirth and ectopic pregnancy for public health, it is necessary to conduct further, more extensive research with large volumes of data," the scientists concluded..

medbe. en.