Avoiding unnecessary C-section

Caesarean section, also known as C-section or caesarean delivery, is the surgical procedure by which one or more babies are delivered through an incision in the mother's abdomen. It is often performed because normal delivery would put the baby or the mother at risk. However, such deliveries are now rising alarmingly in Bangladesh. More and more women are now choosing or subjected to the surgical procedure without any obvious need for it. And what is more worrying is that the trend of undergoing C-section has increased manifold even in our rural areas. According to a study, C-section deliveries have seen an eightfold increase in Bangladesh since 2004. The prevalence of C-Section among our mothers was found to be 3.99 per cent in 2004, which jumped almost eightfold to 33.22 per cent in 2017-18. The World Health Organization (WHO), however, recommends that the C-section rate should not exceed 15 per cent of total birth delivery for any country.

A mother can face many problems after C-section delivery. It is a major surgery. So, many complications can occur during or after the surgery. After such deliveries, one can suffer from lower abdominal pain and other complications. Besides, once a C-section surgery is performed, a woman in most cases will have to deliver next child through C-section. Therefore, from the beginning, one should not go for an unnecessary C-section surgery. No doubt, it is a live-saving surgery. But, its unnecessary use can cause more harm to women than good. Further studies should be conducted to find out why Caesarean section is becoming popular in rural Bangladesh. The High Court has recently asked the government to take steps to make it mandatory for all public and private hospitals and clinics to follow the guideline on the prevention of unnecessary Caesarean section. Now the government should comply with the HC order and improve on childbirth facilities.

Ashikujaman Syed,

Foreign Service Officer,

Anhui Haikang Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd,

Anqing, China,

syedashikujaman@yahoo.com