Children born by cesarean section have a higher risk of becoming obese at birth but also in adulthood, according to the results of a study published in the medical journal Jama Pediatrics.
Researchers from the Harvard TH Chan School in the United States conducted a study with 22,000 young adults over 16 years to analyze the link between childbirth by cesarean section and risk ofobesity. They looked at individuals’ body mass index (BMI), the type of delivery they were born through (cesarean or vaginal delivery), and several risk factors that may have a role in it.obesity as’BMI mothers before pregnancy, their smoking status, age of childbirth and place of residence. They also took into account whether the mothers had ever had a Caesarean section.
Cesarean delivery greatly increases the risk of childhood obesity
They found that babies born by cesarean section were 15% more likely to become obese at birth than children born naturally. And, this increased risk can persist into adulthood. Additionally, babies born by Caesarean section were 64% more likely to be obese than their siblings born by vaginal birth.
Scientists have also observed that infants born by childbirth naturally occurring mothers who had previously had a cesarean delivery were 31% less likely to become obese compared to those born by cesarean section to a mother who had previously given birth by cesarean section.
“Cesarean deliveries are definitely a necessary life-saving procedure,” said Jorge Chavarro, associate professor of nutrition and epidemiology at Harvard Chan School and lead author of the study. “But Caesarean sections also cause known risks for the mother and the newborn. Our results show that the risk ofobesity in children might be another factor to consider. “
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