Concern raised over steady rise in C-section deliveries

Hala Mohammed, a 29-year-old mother, said she was only told hours before delivery she would have a caesarian section. "Throughout my entire pregnancy I was informed that it would be a normal one." She said several doctors checked on her as she went into labor. Eventually a doctor recommended surgery if she was unable to bear the pain. She said she felt forced into signing the consent form. Several other women have also complained that doctors had failed to inform them early that they would undergo surgery, and would have wanted the medical practitioners to find other ways to ensure normal delivery of their babies, the Arab News reports. Saarah F. said that she had received advice from a substitute doctor, when her physician went on holiday, that she had a weak womb and normal delivery would be risky. "A few months later when I met my doctor and told her about it, she was surprised and said I was normal and did not require a C-section," she said. Her experience has convinced her that C-sections are more convenient and less time consuming for doctors. "It has become more of a business rather than about medical decisions," she said. However, experts said that doctors should not be blamed all the time because there are many reasons steady rise C-section deliveries, including women being afraid of going into labor. Many are making a mistake thinking that risky surgery is less painful than natural childbirth, they said. A gynecologist at a government hospital said: "The high rate of C-sections is not because there are many high-risk patients, but because mothers demand this procedure. Many doctors give in easily to such demands, especially at private hospitals." "Cesarean delivery has become one of the most commonly performed surgical procedures in Saudi Arabia. It is important for hospitals to have awareness programs on how surgery can jeopardize their health. Most importantly, doctors must be trained to help mothers make informed decisions," he said.