Study: 1 in 10 C-Sections Result in Infection

According to The London Evening Standard, approximately 1 in 10 women who undergo a caesarean section will suffer from a related infection. Findings from the British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology revealed that infection was more common in women who were either overweight (1.6 times more likely), or obese (between 2.4 and 3.7 times more likely) than those women of a healthy weight.

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Out of the women who suffered from infection, the majority of infections, 88% in fact, were minor, though 25 of the 4,107 women in the study developed serious infections in the lining of their wombs. And two women from the same study, conducted by the Health Production Agency (HPA), were diagnosed with reproductive tract infections. Additionally, research revealed that women under the age of 20 were at a greater risk for infection, as compared to those between the ages of 25 and 30, though researchers at the HPA are unsure of the reasons behind this finding.

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Dr. Elizabeth Sheridan, head of healthcare associated infections at the HPA, worries about these statistics, especially in light of the fact that one in four births today are done via caesarean section. Sheridan hopes that all women having c-sections for non-medical reasons will be aware of all the risks that are associated with this procedure, especially the risk of infection as a new mother.

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Would you consider having an elective c-section? Did you suffer any postnatal infections after giving birth? Leave a comment.