More women opt for C-section delivery, say health officials
Women sit in the corridors of the maternity ward at Mulago National Referral Hospital recently. Health officials in Eastern Uganda have said more women are opting to deliver their children via by caesarean section. PHOTO/FILE
What you need to know:
- In the past, women only opted for C-section after they got complications with vaginal labour in order to save their babies and their lives as well.
More women in Eastern Uganda are opting to deliver their children by caesarean section (C-section) even when there is no compelling medical reason for it, health officials have revealed.
Dr Godwin Kitongo, a medical officer in Mt Elgon hospital, said expectant mothers, mainly the working class in urban areas, prefer caesarean birth because they do not want to experience labour pains.
“In the past, women only opted for C-section after they got complications with vaginal labour in order to save their babies and their lives as well,” he said.
He added that other reasons for C- section include fear of childbirth, positive attitudes toward caesarean birth and superstitious beliefs, among others.
Dr Daniel Kayebi, the officer-in- charge at Nabiganda Health Centre IV in Butaleja District, said teenage pregnancies have also contributed to the rise of C-section births.
“Most mothers, who undergo caesarean section at this facility, are below the age of 18 and cannot push the baby. If they are forced to give birth naturally, you find them getting complications or losing their babies because their bones are not ready,” he said.
Dr Kayebi said mothers, who took long to bear children, also opt for C-section because they do not want to risk losing their babies.
He further said today hospitals are everywhere and expectant mothers have multiple choices unlike before when hospitals were few and pregnant women had no choice but to give birth naturally.
Dr Steven Waiswa, a gynaecologist at Mbale hospital, also said the demand for caesarean section is rising because of the number of women with health illnesses such as high blood pressure, diabetes, among others, are on the rise.
“If the pressure of an expectant mother is too high and she is in labour, she cannot push the baby because if she does, she may end up losing the baby and also her life,” he said.
However, a midwife at Mbale hospital, who preferred anonymity, said the demand for intern doctors to get experience through carrying out C-section has led many expectant mothers to be forced to undergo the operation.
“Many mothers who can give birth naturally are being taken for C-section and used as experiments for intern doctors,” the source said.
Mothers speakout
Ms Edith Mukwanga, a resident of Nkoma ward in Northern City Division, told Daily Monitor on Wednesday that she opted for C-section because it is safer than natural birth.
“I looked for a baby for seven years and when I finally got pregnant, I did not want to take risks so I decided to undergo cesarean birth,” she said.
Ms Rose Mary Kwaga, a resident of Busamaga Ward in Northern City Division, said: “I was originally told that I can give birth naturally but when the time came to give birth, one of the doctors told my husband that I cannot push the baby and I ended up going for the C-section,” she said.
Ms Fatuma Masaba, another resident, said: “When I gave birth to my first son, I was really mistreated by some nurses who were on duty that night and since then I vowed to use C- section because it is less stressful,” she said.
