In
the news in New Zealand
....
from: http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,2843494a7144,00.html
New
guidelines for caesarean births
12 March 2004
New
guidelines recommending safe alternatives to caesareans in cases where
breech
births are expected or where woman have already had a caesarean were
launched
today.
A Health
Ministry maternity services report published last year said 22 per
cent of
hospital births in 2001 were by caesarean section, and the rate of
caesareans
had grown by 1 per cent annually over the previous four years.
The New
Zealand Guidelines Group (NZGG), which issued the new guidelines,
said today
that while a caesarean section, in which a baby is surgically
removed from
the womb, could be life-saving in emergency situations there
were risks
and the operation should be avoided if possible.
Women were
often told they needed a caesarean when a breech birth was
expected or
if they had previously had a caesarean.
But
Professor Cindy Farquhar, chairwoman of the guideline team, said in
those
situations there were now safe alternatives that could be used to help
women have a
natural birth, removing the risks associated with surgery.
"This
means that they (the mother) will recover from the birth faster, and
the chance
of infection from surgery and risks of blood transfusion will be
reduced,"
she said in a statement.
"Babies
born vaginally will also be spared the health problems associated
with
caesarean birth."
She said the
group's research had identified that that many pregnant women
and their
families did not understand the risks associated with surgical
birth.
Prof
Farquhar said the group strongly recommended that all midwives, general
practitioners
and obstetricians give full, good quality evidence-based
information
about the risks associated with surgical birth.
Health
Ministry Acting Deputy Director-General, Clinical Services Pat Tuohy
said the
ministry would actively promote the new guidelines.
"Over
the next few months we are keen to work with professional
organisations
and district health boards to promote the guidelines to health
professionals
so that they understand the reasons for this advice," he said
in a
statement.
"We are
developing brochures for pregnant women and their families which
will clearly
describe the alternatives, risks and benefits of surgical
birth, and
we want to reassure them that often there are alternatives that
will be safe
for both the baby and the mother."
The
guidelines were produced by the NZGG, which is an independent charitable
organisation
set up to promote evidence-based health care. Their development
was funded by the Health Ministry.
For the full guidelines:
http://www.nzgg.org.nz/download/files/040310_ENDORSEMENT_Full_Caesarean.pdf?
