As more caesarean sections are scheduled around the world, new research proves that this operation promotes overweight and obesity in babies.
According to one new study published in the JAMA, cesarean delivery has been associated with a risk of overweight and obesity in children from 12 months, but only when surgery was planned. Later, these babies also had gut microbiota issues like celiac disease.
“Caesarean delivery has already been associated with overweight and obesity in young children,” the researchers explain in the preamble. “However, few studies have examined emergency cesarean delivery and elective cesarean delivery separately,” they continue.
Celiac disease
Of 727 infants analyzed, 30.5% (222) were born by caesarean section, of which 33.3% (74) were scheduled caesareans. The prevalence of overweight and overweight at 12 months of age was 12.2% (89) and 2.3% (17), respectively. Compared to normal delivery, planned cesarean delivery was therefore significantly associated with the risk of being overweight at 12 months of age. Most overweight children also suffered from celiac disease (gluten intolerance). The mothers had been recruited from two large public hospitals in Singapore.
“Our study proves the existence of an association between non-urgent cesarean delivery and an increased risk of overweight in children from the age of 12 months”, conclude the researchers. “Clinicians are encouraged to inform patients of the consequences that caesarean sections can have on their babies,” they insist.
The number of caesarean births has doubled
Between 2000 and 2015, the total number of caesarean births in the world increased from 12% to 21%, even exceeding 40% in 15 countries (Dominican Republic, Brazil, Egypt, Turkey, Venezuela, Chile, Colombia, Iran…) . The practice of caesareans has increased by an average of 6% per year in Asia, rising from 7.2% to 18.1% of births. The increase is around 2% per year in North America (32% caesareans in 2015) and in Western Europe (26.9%).
In France, the caesarean section rate has been stable since 2010 (20.4% in 2016), after having increased significantly over the previous twenty years. But the number of cesarean sections can vary from simple to double depending on the department. Guyana, the Alpes de Haute-Provence, Lozère and Haute-Corse record more than 23 caesarean sections for 100 births, while Yonne, Loir-et-Cher, Doubs, Guadeloupe, Jura and Haute-Corse Saône practice less than 15 per 100 births.
Malter neonatal physiology
“A caesarean section can be a life-saving intervention when it is medically indicated, but this intervention can also have short and long-term effects on the health of women and children”, recalled last October a vast collective of gynecologists, very worried about these numbers.
They stated: “there is growing evidence that babies born by caesarean section have different hormonal, physical, bacterial and medical exposures, and that these exposures can subtly alter neonatal physiology. Short-term risks include impaired immune development , increased likelihood of allergy, atopy and asthma, and reduced gut microbial diversity The persistence of these risks into later life is less well studied, although an association between the use of caesarean section and a higher incidence of late-onset obesity and asthma in children is frequently reported”.
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