41% of new mothers given C-section in Irish hospitals
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The rate of cesarean sections in Irish maternity hospitals has jumped to 41% among first-time mothers — double the rate of most other European countries.
Only Bulgaria, Romania, and Cyprus currently have higher rates of C-sections, an analysis of Eurostat data shows.
Ireland’s rate is more than double that of other EU states such as Netherlands, Spain, Denmark, and Latvia.
In 2019, Eurostat ranked Ireland seventh in Europe with a C-section rate of just over 30% of all live births based on 2017 birth rates across the region.
While a C-section is generally a safe procedure, it is still regarded as major surgery and normally has a long recovery time of six to eight weeks. There is also the potential for infection and other complications.
Delays in implementing the national maternity strategy are cited as the main factor behind Ireland’s high rate.
Association for Improvements in Maternity Services (AIMS) chairwoman Krysia Lynch said that, while options for care before and after birth have significantly broadened, birth options “remain a pipe dream for so many people in so many areas”.
Ms Lynch, who sat on the strategy steering group, said: “We’re still no further along the road with respect to birthing centres, with respect to midwifery-led units and with respect to anything that is a more low-tech option.
“The lack of geographic equity, choices available to people especially in the northwest are quite minimal. People still get left with the basic choice of coming as a public patient into obstetric care or as a private patient into obstetric care.”
She also pointed to the high rate of inductions — at 60% across maternity units.
“The full purpose of medicalisation is to get better outcomes for mums and babies but if the outcomes are remaining the same then we are forcing people to undergo these procedures and not giving them anything in return,” she said.
Ms Lynch fears it is driven by pressures on the system rather than women’s wishes.
C-sections have “multiplier effects” she cautioned, with babies more likely to need intensive care and mothers needing weeks to recover.
“When you have a maternity service that is very strapped for cash, for personnel and strapped for resources, caesareans are the easier option,” she said.