According to this morning’s Irish Times, 27% of 11,000 women surveyed had a caesarean section. 52% of these were emergency sections while 48% were scheduled procedures.

A number of the women also attended consultant obstetricians as private patients.

A caesarean creates a greater health risk for both mother and baby. Grounds for planned caesareans include twin pregnancies and high maternal blood pressure.

Emergency procedures are required if the baby shows and signs of distress during birth or if the mother experiences placental problems in the later stages of the pregnancy.

The rate of women having caesareans in Ireland, 26.7%, is greater than the UK at 23% and the EU average at 19%. Irish women attending a private consultant alone was 74% more.  

Do you think these women undergoing unnecessary caesareans?

Researchers asked themselves are a group of Irish women, “too posh to push based on their ability to pay?”