Patient's question:
I'd like to ask if it's better to have a cesarean section or a natural birth?Doctor's answer:
From an infant's perspective, cesarean delivery is not as good as natural childbirth. Cesarean delivery may cause the following harms to the baby:1. Fractures:
(1) Clavicle fracture: This occurs when the anterior shoulder fails to deliver fully, and the posterior shoulder is lifted too quickly, causing the anterior clavicle to get stuck at the upper edge of the uterine incision, resulting in a fracture.
(2) Femur or humerus fracture: Femur fractures are more common in breech presentations due to forceful traction on the lower limbs by the surgeon. Humerus fractures occur when the surgeon forcefully pulls the upper arm.
(3) Skull fracture: This is more common when the baby has already entered a deep part of the pelvic inlet or has an abnormal, and the surgeon exerts excessive force on a specific part of the fetal head during delivery.
2. Soft tissue injury: During the uterine incision, the baby's presenting part may be scratched by instruments if the uterine wall is too thin or the surgeon applies excessive force.
Cesarean delivery is a process of delivering the fetus through an abdominal incision, but it is not the safest mode of childbirth for the baby. First, due to the lack of stimulation from rhythmic uterine contractions, the production of pulmonary surfactant is correspondingly slower and less, leading to delayed onset of regular autonomous breathing. Additionally, newborns are more prone to respiratory diseases.
Moreover, the following injuries may occur during cesarean delivery:
Cesarean delivery changes the natural birth canal, altering the baby's natural environment at birth. The loss of nerve contact and sensory experiences brought by the normal birth canal process makes children more prone to neurodevelopmental disorders such as ADHD during growth.
Furthermore, the umbilical cord blood of newborns from cesarean delivery has lower levels of immunoglobulins compared to those from natural childbirth, with even fewer antibodies that can fight diseases. Therefore, newborns from cesarean delivery are more susceptible to infections.