US EditionC-sections now more common than ‘natural’ births in England for first time
NHS data show 45% of births in England were caesarean last year, nearly half planned, driven by demographic changes and policy shifts since 2011.
- On Tuesday, NHS figures showed caesarean births overtook natural deliveries for the first time, with about 45 per cent of births last year being caesareans and 43 per cent unassisted vaginal births.
- Policy changes since 2011 have meant NHS guidance allows women to request elective c-sections, and the NHS abandoned c-section targets in 2022 after maternity scandals.
- Rising obesity and maternal age mean the average maternal age is 31, with 24 per cent of births to women over 35, while one in four women in England are classed as obese.
- Clinical implications include increased need for maternity staff and operating-theatre resources, as caesarean surgery carries risks and takes about six weeks to recover, though it reduces incontinence or tearing.
- Annual figures published on Tuesday also show elective caesareans are more common in wealthier parts of the country, while births fell to the lowest number in 25 years.
8 Articles
8 Articles
Stop Shaming Women Into Thinking A C-Section Is The “Wrong” Way To Give Birth
There has been much hand-wringing at the news that more women in England are now having their babies via caesarean (elective and emergency) than vaginal birth, writes Claire Cohen. But all the finger-pointing at women masks the reason why this rise in elective c-sections is actually happening.
Cesarean births have surpassed vaginal births for the first time in England, a situation attributed to the increase in complex pregnancies and deliveries due to factors such as obesity and the rise in women delaying motherhood until a later age, according to data from the National Health Service (NHS). In 2024, 45% of births in England were by cesarean section, 44% by vaginal delivery, and 11% with the assistance of instruments such as forceps o…
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