Emergency C-sections account for 1-in-5 births

A fifth of births recorded at Lancashire Teaching Hospitals Trust in March were emergency C-sections, new figures show.

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While a caesarean section is generally a very safe operation, NHS England guidance states the level of risk partly depends on whether the procedure is planned or done in an emergency.

A pregnancy and baby charity warned emergency C-sections carry risks despite sometimes being "lifesaving", adding their increasing rate in England likely reflects the "ongoing pressure on maternity services".