).
Around
).
With advancements in medical surgery, the rates of cesarean births are soaring high, especially in developed countries (
).
Over 1 in 5 (21%) of all childbirths are accounted for as a cesarean section as per the World Health Organization (WHO) (2✔ ✔Trusted Source
Caesarean section rates continue to rise, amid growing inequalities in access
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). Australia Alone accounts for 1 in 3 cesarean births (1✔ ✔Trusted Source
Cesarean Awareness Month 2022: Melville mums share their stories
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).
The rate is expected to escalate even more with almost one-third (29%) of all births occurring with cesarean section by 2030. Moreover, the rising rates are indicative of medically unnecessary yet potentially harmful cesarean sections (2✔ ✔Trusted Source
Caesarean section rates continue to rise, amid growing inequalities in access
Go to source
).
Need for Right Education
Although the cesarean section is considered a life-saving surgery, it equally imparts short- and long-term health risks to mothers and babies, in the absence of its medical indication (2✔ ✔Trusted Source
Caesarean section rates continue to rise, amid growing inequalities in access
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). In addition, the pregnancy risks or complications also increase with each cesarean section (1✔ ✔Trusted Source
Cesarean Awareness Month 2022: Melville mums share their stories
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).
A child’s birth is a completely normal physiological process and healthy vaginal birth is the right for every pregnancy. With proper education and emotional support, one may easily adopt to a healthy vaginal birth, thereby overcoming the threats of C-section in non-indicative scenarios (3✔ ✔Trusted Source
ICAN News And Upcoming Campaigns
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In cases of previous C-sections, Vaginal Birth After Caesarean (VBAC) may be adopted as a realistic and safer alternative to repeat cesareans as abdominal surgery in itself carries multiple risks (3✔ ✔Trusted Source
ICAN News And Upcoming Campaigns
Go to source).
“Cesarean sections are absolutely critical to saving lives in situations where vaginal deliveries would pose risks, so all health systems must ensure timely access for all women when needed. But not all the cesarean sections carried out at the moment are needed for medical reasons. Unnecessary surgical procedures can be harmful, both for a woman and her baby,” says Dr. Ian Askew, director of WHO’s Department of Sexual and Reproductive Health and Research and the UN joint program, HRP (2✔ ✔Trusted Source
Caesarean section rates continue to rise, amid growing inequalities in access
Go to source).
It is thereby recommended that a planned cesarean section is adopted only in case of absolute medical indications (1✔ ✔Trusted Source
Cesarean Awareness Month 2022: Melville mums share their stories
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ICAN Movement
The grassroots movement for the International Cesarean Awareness Month was initiated by International Cesarean Awareness Network (ICAN) through its foundation in 1982 by Liz Handler and Esther Zorn (1✔ ✔Trusted Source
Cesarean Awareness Month 2022: Melville mums share their stories
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).
ICAN is a non-profit organization that has been involved in improving the health of a mother and child through public education on preventable cesarean operations. This year, the organization fosters the awareness by sharing infographics on cesarean births, raising funds, and designing a “wear your CAM 2022 t-shirt!” (1✔ ✔Trusted Source
Cesarean Awareness Month 2022: Melville mums share their stories
Go to source).
The global venture aims to reduce the number of cesarean births through the right education for the public. The campaign also raises awareness of the medical needs for cesarean births, and recovery from a cesarean and thereby necessitates the need for VBAC (1✔ ✔Trusted Source
Cesarean Awareness Month 2022: Melville mums share their stories
Go to source).
ICAN also encourages researchers, birth professionals, administrators, policymakers, and various international and regional mother/baby organizations to support the families in advocating their birth rights (3✔ ✔Trusted Source
ICAN News And Upcoming Campaigns
Go to source).
International Cesarean Awareness Month
Preventable cesareans may account for almost 20,000 major surgical complications (organ injury, hemorrhage, and sepsis) annually. Nevertheless, with proper awareness, nearly half of the C-sections can be prevented safely (4✔ ✔Trusted Source
Caesarean Awareness Month Toolkit
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).
The CAM thereby strives to bring-in a cultural shift among the public in taking control of their pregnancies and births as “Birth Rights Are Human Rights” as per the ICAN Board of Directors (5✔ ✔Trusted Source
International Caesarean Awareness Network
Go to source).
Encouraging women-centered care (for pregnancy and childbirth) serves as a key to reducing the soaring rates of C-sections, thereby rescuing its complications. One may even volunteer for this noble venture as “many hands make light work” (3✔ ✔Trusted Source
ICAN News And Upcoming Campaigns
Go to source).
Choose your Birth!
It is thereby mandatory that families are aware of full risks concerning C-sections and related uterine surgeries before their decision. The campaign also fosters to exclude biased counseling concerning pregnancy-delivery options (5✔ ✔Trusted Source
International Caesarean Awareness Network
Go to source
).
“It’s important for all women to be able to talk to healthcare providers and be part of the decision making on their birth, receiving adequate information including the risks and benefits. Emotional support is a critical aspect of quality care throughout pregnancy and childbirth,” says Dr. Ana Pilar Betran, medical officer at WHO and HRP (2✔ ✔Trusted Source
Caesarean section rates continue to rise, amid growing inequalities in access
Go to source).
This International Cesarean Awareness Month, encourage active and positive involvement of parenthood during pregnancy a key to choosing the birth. Knowing the birth options not only drives away fear surrounding it but also fosters a rather healthy maternal-child condition.
References :
- Cesarean Awareness Month 2022: Melville mums share their stories
– (https://melvillemums.com.au/cesarean-awareness-month-april-2021-melville-mums-share-their-stories/) - Caesarean section rates continue to rise, amid growing inequalities in access
– (https://www.who.int/news/item/16-06-2021-caesarean-section-rates-continue-to-rise-amid-growing-inequalities-in-access#:~:text=According%20to%20new%20research%20from,21%25)%20of%20all%20childbirths) - ICAN News And Upcoming Campaigns – (https://www.ican-online.org/)
- Caesarean Awareness Month Toolkit – (https://www.ican-online.org/cesarean-awareness-month-toolkit/)
- International Cesarean Awareness Network – (https://www.ican-online.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/CAM-2021-press-release-1.pdf)
Source: Medindia
