Unwarranted caesarean deliveries are not restricted to urban areas, shows a new study, which pegs normal and assisted delivery rate at a mere 38 per cent in the rural areas of the State.
According to the community-based study carried out in Yenkapally and Peddamangalaram villages of Ranga Reddy district, out of the 100 surveyed earlier this year, 62 reported giving birth through C-section. Of these, only 37 had emergency C-section while the remaining had elective surgeries. The study by Dr. Vijay Kumar Maktha was published in the International Journal of Community Medicine and Public Health.
Doctors say first time C-section deliveries are most important to prevent. “There is a 60 per cent chance that a woman who had C-section the first time will be able to deliver naturally. However, many women opt for C-section the second time as well as there is a small risk of scar injury,” said Dr. A. Bhavani, head of gynaecology at Sunshine Hospitals, adding that opting for C-section the second time is justifiable if the first delivery was C-section.
The report showed that of the 25 elective C-section deliveries, in 21 cases women underwent C-section as their first deliveries were also C-section.
“The second delivery need not be C-section, but it should be institutional as the mother requires additional monitoring,” said Dr. Janaki Velanki, gynaecologist at the state-run Niloufer Hospital. In many cases, doctors deter first time mothers from delivering naturally, she added.
The study also showed that women from upper and middle-income groups were more likely to undergo C-section. Literacy too tilted the decision towards C-section. Most C-section deliveries happen in private hospitals, the study showed.
Rampant C-section deliveries in the State had forced the government to take notice. In the past, Karimnagar district administration instituted inquiries in private hospitals where more than half the deliveries performed were C-section.
