The baby may also benefit. The risk of an unexplained or unexpected stillbirth may be reduced by cesarean section, as may be the risk of complications of labour such as clinical chorioamnionitis, fetal heart rate abnormalities and cord prolapse.
The overall analysis found that previous Caesarean section was associated with unexplained stillbirth (OR = 1.95 [95% CI 1.46, 2.60]). However, previous Cesarean section was not associated with unexplained stillbirth in women with a previous normally grown infant (OR = 1.38 [95% CI 0.93, 2.04]).
Women who have c-sections are 14% more likely to have a stillbirth in future than those giving birth naturally, say researchers. And c-sections raised the chance of an ectopic pregnancy by 9%, according to a study of more than 800,000 Danish first-time mothers.
A Johns Hopkins University11 epidemiological study also found that infants delivered by cesarean section have an increased risk of dying of SIDS than an infant born vaginally.
The more C-sections, the higher the risks of placenta previa and a condition in which the placenta becomes attached to the wall of the uterus (placenta accreta). A C-section also increases the risk of the uterus tearing along the scar line (uterine rupture) for women who attempt a vaginal delivery in a later pregnancy.
“It takes a while for babies born through C-section to develop a normal microbiome. And during that time, while the immune system is also developing, they become more at risk for later developing certain diseases like asthma.
Around 86% of SIDS deaths happen when a baby is six months old or less. The most vulnerable period is under 3 months but it is important to follow safer sleep advice until your baby is 12 months old.
Sleeping position: Sleeping on the stomach is a major risk factor for SIDS.
Babies at Risk
Baby's age Increased vulnerability to SIDS when they are 1 to 6 months old with the peak time during 2-3 months of age. SIDS may occur up to one year of age. Siblings of a baby who died of SIDS have a small risk of SIDS possibly linked to a genetic disorder.
Stillbirth is further classified as either early, late, or term. An early stillbirth is a fetal death occurring between 20 and 27 completed weeks of pregnancy. A late stillbirth occurs between 28 and 36 completed pregnancy weeks. A term stillbirth occurs between 37 or more completed pregnancy weeks.
Most stillbirths happen before a pregnant person goes into labor, but a small number happen during labor and birth. Stillbirth affects about 1 in 160 pregnancies each year in the United States.
While the risk of stillbirth is increased in pregnancies that go beyond 42 weeks, it is still relatively small, at 4 to 7 deaths per 1000 deliveries, as opposed to 2 to 3 deaths per 1000 deliveries in women who deliver between 37 and 42 weeks.
Breastfeeding has been shown to reduce the occurrence of SIDS by over 50 percent by improving the immune system, promoting brain growth, reducing reflux and a variety of other factors.
SIDS risk by age
The NICHD notes that SIDS is most common when an infant is between 1–4 months old. Additionally, more than 90% of SIDS deaths occur before the age of 6 months old. The risk of SIDS reduces after an infant is 8 months old.
SIDS is most common at 2-4 months of age when the cardiorespiratory system of all infants is in rapid transition and therefore unstable. So, all infants in this age range are at risk for dysfunction of neurological control of breathing.
As outlined in the review, pacifier use during sleep may improve autonomic control of breathing, airway patency, or both. Further, it has been hypothesized that the pacifier could prevent accidental rolling leading to less risk of SIDS.
Babies born by Caesarean section have dramatically different gut bacteria to those born vaginally, according to the largest study in the field. The UK scientists say these early encounters with microbes may act as a "thermostat" for the immune system.
“Cesarean delivery results in fewer bacteria in the baby's gut being like its mother's. This is not known to be harmful and mothers who need a caesarean should not be alarmed.
Many pregnant people elect to have a C-section to allow them to plan around delivery or simply because they would prefer not to deliver vaginally. Others are pressured into surgery, or have their wishes ignored.