PREGNANT women who choose to have early elective caesarean sections are placing their babies at risk of developing respiratory illness, a new study has found.

Almost one in 10 babies born in Northern Ireland by voluntary caesarean section — the majority at 37 weeks instead of the recommended 39 weeks — had to be admitted to intensive care with breathing difficulties after they were born.

Experts say the traditional definition of what constitutes a “term” baby needs to be examined to avoid unnecessary suffering of newborns delivered by elective caesarean section, major surgery that is not strictly medically required. Women must also be advised of the risks of planned early caesareans for their babies’ welfare.

“You expect that when you deliver a baby ‘at term’, there will be a positive outcome,” said Carolyn Bailie, a consultant obstetrician at the Royal Maternity Jubilee hospital, Belfast, one of several doctors who led the study, which will be published in the Irish Medical Journal.

“Historically, we think of ‘full term’ meaning 37 weeks, but this is not the safest time to deliver a baby by planned caesarean. Perhaps we need to get rid of the phrase ‘term’ and go by estimated dates, which are more accurate.”

None of the babies born during the time of the study died as a result of an early planned caesarean, but together they spent 343 days in hospital, with 68% suffering from respiratory distress syndrome.

“We need to make mothers aware that, at 37 weeks, babies born by planned caesarean can develop serious respiratory problems. We should delay the planned birth by at least another week or 10 days,” said Bailie.

“It can make a huge difference having a caesarean at 39 weeks instead of 37, as each extra week halves the risk of respiratory morbidity.”

Pregnant women are increasingly choosing to have their babies by caesarean section, even though caesareans are not as safe as vaginal births and it takes longer for a mother to recover.

In Britain, statistics reveal that as many as one in 10 of these surgical procedures performed in National Health Service hospitals are carried out not so much for medical reasons but for the mother’s convenience.

The Republic of Ireland, which has traditionally had a low rate of caesarean births, is also experiencing an increase in surgical deliveries. Despite government campaigns to reduce the number of caesareans, the number of babies delivered surgically has doubled, or even tripled, at many maternity units in the past decade.

Reasons cited for the rise include better detection of fetal distress, which encourages doctors to operate to avoid problems; more older women having babies; an increased tendency among patients to resort to litigation; and doctors wanting to speed up births. Many women are forgoing the “miracle” of a natural birth, citing the desire for a pain-free labour, the avoidance of urinary incontinence and the potential impact of a vaginal birth on their future sex lives.

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