‘Deaths from C-sections high in developing countries’

  1. A recent research published in The Lancet has noted that maternal deaths following caesarean sections in low and middle-income countries are 100 times higher than that in high-income countries. According to the report, annually, there are 3 lakh maternal deaths and 99% of it are from low and middle-income countries.
  2. Poor access, unnecessary caesarean operations, late referrals, inappropriate procedures, poor resources and training of medical practioners are major reasons for maternal deaths following caesarean sections.
  3. The report has suggested measures to reduce such maternal deaths. These include: a) improving access to surgery, b) promoting appropriate use of the procedure, c) providing safe surgical environments, d) increasing neonatal resuscitation (the process of correcting physiological disorders) to help improve outcomes to babies, e) appropriate training of health professionals to reduce inappropriate caesarean sections.