By Colleen Hurley, RD, Certified Kid’s Nutrition Specialist
Delivering via caesarean section (c-section) has become increasingly popular over the recent 
few years. Some schools of thought find the increase in c-section deliveries may be indicitave of its overuse. For many women, a c-section may be the only alternative but a new study warns that when used too early, this birthing method may cause health risks for the baby.
Published in the
New England Journal of Medicine, the findings add concern over the rising rate in caesarean births in the US. Accounting for up to 30% of the births in the United States, c-sections have become an elective surgery women schedule in order to avoid a vaginal delivery.
The increase is scheduled c-sections is largely in part due to the risks associated with attempting to deliver vaginally after having a c-section for a previous birth; even more so after doctors and hospitals became fearful of being sued. While many women have had
successful vaginal deliveries following a c-section, the complication rates were nonetheless troubling.
As the saying goes, timing is everything and this could not be more critical than in the case of delivering a baby. Many doctors schedule c-sections between 36 and 40 weeks gestation when most fetuses can survive outside the womb. The delivery dates are based on various tests, but authors of the study warn these tests are not sophisticated enough to pinpoint exactly when important milestones have been reached in utero such breathing independently and being able to metabolize food.
The study found that a scheduled delivery at 37 weeks, when compared with delivery at 39 weeks, causes a fourfold risk increase for respiratory distress syndrome; a condition in which an infant’s lungs cannot intake oxygen. According to the study, infants born before 39 weeks were more likely to have breathing problems as well as an increased risk for septic infection. In summation, the authors reiterate the age old belief that the majority of the time, it is best to let nature take its course and the baby will arrive when he is ready.
译文:
剖腹产可能给幼儿健康带来危险--来自新英格兰医学杂志研究结果
作者：科琳•赫尔利路 儿童营养专家。
最近几年，剖腹产变得越来越普遍。一些思想流派发现剖腹分娩日益增加可能表明此种方式遭到滥用。对于许多妇女来说，剖腹产只是一种生产方式而已，但是一项新的研究警告妇女，如果过早剖腹产，可能给婴儿健康造成危险。发表在新英格兰医学杂志的研究结果表明了美国剖腹产上升率结果。剖腹产在美国达到30%，它已经成为妇女为避免阴道分娩而预定进行的外科手术。剖腹产率上升很大程度上缘于妇女前一次做过剖腹产，害怕后一次阴道分娩有危险的心理；再有就是医院和医生害怕遭到诉讼也是一个重要原因。尽管许多妇女前一次做过剖腹产，而后也能顺利从阴道分娩婴儿，但产后并发症也相当棘手。
正如常言道，时机决定成败，此话用于分娩上也不无道理。 许多医生预定剖腹产在妊娠36-40周之间做，因为这个时候多数胎儿能在子宫外存活。虽然分娩日期基于各项检验指标，但是研究者警告您，这些检验手段还没有达到足够高的水平，即能够准确指出子宫内发生至关重要的变化阶段，如胎儿是不是能够独立呼吸、代谢食物等。研究发现计划妊娠37周出生的婴儿比39周出生的婴儿得呼吸窘迫综合症的危险增加4倍；因为可能这时婴儿肺部还不能吸氧。研究结果表明，妊娠39周以前出生的婴儿较易引起呼吸问题及败血病。总之，作者重申时间是关键，最好等到瓜熟蒂落、水到渠成。