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In the past, their availability was very low, today it is quite the opposite: almost half (47%) of pregnancies in Polish delivery centers ends with a caesarean section (CC). The trend is worrying because “cesarean” is a surgical procedure, and this is always associated with the risk of complications and postoperative complications. Despite this, doctors are choosing it more and more often. Why?
- For years, Poland has been one of the leaders of the infamous list of countries with the highest rate of cesarean section. Currently, this is how 47 percent ends. pregnancies
- The number of emperors increases every year. Current statistics are twice as high as 20 years ago
- According to the recommendations of the World Health Organization (WHO), no more than 15% should be delivered by caesarean section. all pregnancies
- The NHF data on the availability of anesthesia during childbirth is also devastating – as many as 90% do not use it. women. For comparison, the average for the whole of Europe is about 40-50 percent.
- The reasons for this are not obvious. Contrary to appearances, “cesarean on request” (patients) is not so popular anymore, rather medical indications are at stake
- More information can be found on the Onet homepage
Caesarean section in Poland – statistics are growing
The number of emperors performed increases every year. The latest data say about 47 percent. all deliveries, but in many hospitals this rate is higher and exceeds 50%. Compared to the statistics from two decades ago, it almost doubles. The numbers are also worrying because the WHO recommendations in this regard are clear: a caesarean section should not end in more than 15%. all births.
Interestingly enough, despite the clear medicalisation of labor, the availability of anesthesia during labor is relatively low. The data obtained by “Dziennik Gazeta Prawna” shows that as much as 90 percent. Polish women do not receive painkillers in the delivery ward, although they are available in various forms. This percentage is in sharp contrast to the European “standard” – an average of 40-50 percent use labor anesthesia. inhabitants of our continent.
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Why are so many cesarean sections performed in Poland?
A large number of cesarean sections performed in Poland has been controversial for years. There was a time when there was a lot of talk about a trend among pregnant women themselves, who were to force doctors to refer them to termination of pregnancy in this way (the so-called cesarean on request). The medical community denied this, but the women openly admitted that they were making such attempts because they were afraid of childbirth and the pain associated with it (we are talking about tocophobia then).
Years of education about the possible complications of a cesarean section and the complications that can be caused by the procedure itself have made this topic a bit silent. However, the number of emperors did not decrease, but increased. Why?
“The reasons for this are very complex” – says Andrzej Płoszyński, MD, PhD in an interview with the website Zdrowie.trojmiasto.pl, head of the Gynecology and Obstetrics Department at the Sea Hospital in Gdynia. «Certainly it is related to the later age at which women become pregnant. Some women would never become mothers if it were not for the methods of assisted reproduction. We also treat some chronic diseases more effectively, thanks to which women can get pregnant, but not always give birth naturally. So we are talking about the broadly understood advancement of medicine »- he explains.
The doctor does not hide, however, that the voice of the patient, her relatives and other people is also important. «We also feel a clear pressure on the doctors from the accompanying persons during the labor and even from the media. We feel a negative atmosphere around us and some specialists, especially younger ones, cannot withstand this pressure and prefer to complete their delivery by caesarean section rather than by natural means »- he admits.
The indications for a caesarean are very different
The Polish Society of Gynecologists and Obstetricians (PTG) confirms: “the development of perinatal medicine, and diagnostics in particular, could have influenced more frequent detection of abnormalities in the fetus and was associated with an increase in the percentage of cesarean sections”. In the PTGP recommendations regarding qualification for cesarean section, we also read that in recent years, natural delivery is also not recommended in cases of pelvic position of the fetus and the presence of a caesarean section scar. But the main indications for cesarean section are still the arrest of the progress of labor and intrapartum, impending intrauterine asphyxia.
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In its recommendations, the PTGP also mentions other situations in which doctors may decide to terminate the pregnancy by caesarean section. This includes giving birth to more than one child (multiple pregnancy). There are also other indications (both obstetric and non-obstetric), including life-threatening situations for the mother and / or the child, but the decision here often depends on both the condition of both and other factors.
In every situation, however, medics remind you that you have to take into account that Caesarean section is associated with an increased risk of perioperative and postoperative complications. PTGP lists here, inter alia, a tenfold higher risk of labor hemorrhage and thromboembolic complications, higher risk of surgical complications in other surgical interventions in the abdominal cavity, and the negative effects of cesarean delivery for the child.
— Each opening of the abdominal cavity increases the risk of adhesions – says Andrzej Płoszyński, MD, PhD. – Performing an incision increases the risk that the next labor will also end in the same way because the uterine muscle is damaged in some way. A serious complication is the more and more often observed incorrect implantation of subsequent pregnancies after the surgical completion of labor. Finally, surgical delivery significantly increases the risk of infections. It is also believed that natural childbirth is more beneficial for a child, because it, for example, reduces the risk of respiratory disorders. Natural childbirth is a great effort for the patient, but nevertheless women recover faster, the hospital stay is shorter and the risk of complications for the mother and child is dramatically reduced.
The fact that childbirth rarely looks the way we imagine it is best known to women who have it behind them. It is not without reason that it is said that each birth is a different, unique story. That is why we want to encourage all MedTvoiLokony readers today to share these unique stories.
How did your pregnancy end? Did you have anesthesia during childbirth? Or maybe you knew from the very beginning that a cesarean was waiting for you?
Write to us at [email protected]and we’ll publish your story. Thanks to it, planning pregnancy, pregnant mothers and all other women will be able to better understand how different labor may proceed and how individual are the experiences related to it.