In France, nearly 1 in 5 women give birth by caesarean section. In the vast majority of cases, the decision to operate is based on very specific indications. If the so-called comfort cesarean sections exist, they are still very much in the minority. Like any surgical act, they can indeed expose to complications, for the mother as for her child.

At birth, babies born by cesarean section are more likely to suffer from transient respiratory distress requiring rapid oxygenation. This difficulty in switching from intrauterine breathing to breathing in the open concerns 35,5 births by scheduled cesarean section in 1000 births, compared with 12,2 births by cesarean section during labor in 1000 and only 5,3 births per low lane on 1000.

Too deep an incision can also cause a cut on the baby’s body. A study published in 2006 gives the figure of about 3% of light cuts and 0,1% of medium or severe cuts. But these rates go hand in hand with the degree of urgency of the cesarean. And it seems that current caesarean section techniques reduce this risk.

Different studies have linked a cesarean section to an increased risk for the baby of developing asthma as he grows older.

The risk of allergic rhinitis and food allergies is also increased. The lack of colonization of the baby’s intestinal flora by lactobacilli present in the mother’s vaginal flora, as occurs during a vaginal birth, could explain this poorer protection against allergies.

The particular composition of the intestinal flora of babies born by cesarean section could also explain that they have a higher risk of developing obesity. Several publications point in this direction. The latest, published by researchers at Johns Hopkins University (Maryland), shows that newborns born by cesarean section have a 40% increased risk of developing overweight or obesity during childhood.

In utero, the auditory system begins to function from the 22nd week of pregnancy. At 7 months of pregnancy, the hearing of the fetus is considered operational. So now is the perfect time to start talking to him and humming some tunes to him. This habit contributes to the establishment of the mother-child bond. And in the event of a cesarean, hearing the reassuring voice of your mother again explaining what is going to happen will soothe the baby and limit the impact of the stress linked to an “extraordinary” birth.

Regarding the risks of developing allergies, we now know that breastfeeding for 4 to 6 months has protective effects. Latching after a cesarean is sometimes a little more complicated, but it is quite possible. Having taken care to specify that you want to breastfeed when writing your birth plan can make things easier with the team present at the time of childbirth.