In Babies and more we have talked on different occasions about the risks of having a cesarean section, both for the mother and the baby, in the short and long term, so they are not recommended unless your circumstances justify the risks that are assumed .
This can become worrisome for mothers who have had babies by cesarean section , because the risks of suffering from certain things increase. For example, previous studies have found a relationship between cesarean births and the risk of obesity in childhood.
However, according to a large new study, being born by cesarean section does not increase the risk of future obesity , and it explains why previous studies might have been wrong.
The study
Published in the journal PLOS One , the study was conducted with the aim of examining the association between the types of cesarean section (selective and non-selective) with the risk of children suffering from obesity in the future . According to the study, this was done because previous studies had not made this differentiation, which could make their health profile different.
Conducted in Sweden and with the participation of 97,291 men born between 1982 and 1987, who were followed until they were 18 years old, the study carried out and reviewed various metrics and analyzes about their medical history at birth and at 18 years.
Also, important data of the mothers were analyzed, such as the age at the time of giving birth, as well as their body mass index (BMI) before pregnancy, and other important data related to the pregnancy such as the presence of diabetes, hypertension and health habits.
According to the results, the prevalence of obesity varied slightly between those born vaginally, selective caesarean section, and non-selective caesarean section, so no evidence was found of any association between cesarean births and the risk of obesity .
The researchers add that although these results belie those of other small studies, more research is needed, as this large study was conducted only with male participants.
Why did previous studies claim the opposite?
According to the researchers in this new study, this may be for a number of reasons. For example, the previous studies were not that large in terms of the number of participants , which makes this new study more accurate compared to the others.
In addition, they also comment that when reviewing the previous studies, they could observe that they did not take into account other factors and important data of the mother before and during pregnancy , and focused mainly on the data of the babies at birth and in the following years .
Although this study can help some mothers feel calm by showing that there is no relationship between cesarean births, let us remember that unjustified cesarean sections imply an unnecessary risk to the health of both , and that they should only be performed when it really is. necessary to do so.
Photo | iStock
Via | Science Daily
In Babies and more | Beware of unjustified cesarean sections: the risks not only affect the mother, but also the baby and the health of future pregnancies
