OPTIMISING MATERNITY OPS: REDUCING C-SECTION BURDEN THROUGH EVIDENCE-BASED PROTOCOLS

By building systems that support safety, documentation, and respectful care, institutions can improve outcomes, lower litigation risks, and strengthen quality scores, achieving what healthcare should truly represent: Care Through Trust.”

- By Dr. Vinoad Bharrati, Consultant Gynaecologist, Founder and Director, Elite Momz - Rising Medicare Hospital, Kharadi, Pune

According to the WHO, the caesarean section percentage should not go beyond 10% but in the last few years all over the world, the caesarean section percentage has increased to nearly 20 to 21%. In India, in 2015-2016 caesarean section percentage was near about 21% and in 2019-2020 percentage had gone beyond 30%. In the current scenario caesarean section percentage is nearly 30-35%, especially an increase in the caesarean section rate in private hospitals is being noted.

There are many factors which are responsible for the increase in caesarean section percentage in our country, which include increasing literacy, organisational factors, financial incentives, sociocultural factors, health implications, diet, day to day lifestyle, lack of exercise, and so on.

All said and done, we need to carve a way out of it and mitigate against the increasing percentage of caesarean sections. If we want to increase the percentage of natural birthing we need to go back towards nature more and more.

Starting from the initial days of pregnancy and being at high risk of diabetes, we need to advise low glycemic index food for pregnant women. So the average weight of babies will be optimal according to the body proportion of particular individuals. Secondly, this kind of intervention will decrease the percentage of complications of gestational diabetes and also overall maternal morbidity.

Starting from initial visits to antenatal clinics, we need to emphasize the advantages of natural birthing practices. A pregnant lady, along with her partner and family members, should be given knowledge about the process of natural birthing and its advantages. An obstetrician who is taking care of a pregnant woman should play the role of ‘myth buster’ from time to time. It will help to reduce the fear about the process of natural Birthing.