Experts ask if rising obesity is cause as Caesarean births hit almost four in ten

The proportion of babies born through Caesarean sections has climbed to almost four in 10 births, with experts believing rising obesity in women may be a cause.

The upward trend is also being attributed as possibly due to the greater age at which women get pregnant.

Data published by NHS England also showed the number of births in the country is at its lowest level in more than 20 years.

Of the 547,244 births recorded in 2022/2023, some 17.4 per cent were delivered by elective Caesarean section – a planned procedure which is usually carried out around the 39th week of pregnancy.

This is up from 15.9 per cent of the 578,562 births recorded in the previous 12 months.

The proportion of emergency Caesarean sections – when a vaginal birth may be deemed too risky by doctors – also increased from 20.1 per cent to 21.9 per cent, around one in five births. It means altogether that 39.3 per cent of births in the most recent year were Caesarean. 

The statistics suggest a long-term upwards trend in emergency Caesarean sections in England.

Some 671,255 babies were born a decade ago in 2012/13, with 14.8 per cent, or around one in seven, delivered via emergency Caesarean.

The proportions of both elective and emergency procedures in 2022/23 are the highest since 1980, which is as far back as current NHS England data on deliveries goes.

Demographic changes

Dr Laura Hipple, vice president of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, said: “Over recent years there has been a gradual increase in the number of Caesareans.

“A major factor is the growing number of complex births. Nationally we are seeing rising rates of obesity and people choosing to have children at a later stage in their life, both of which can increase the chance of complications.

“An emergency or unplanned Caesarean birth may happen when there are serious concerns about the wellbeing of the woman and/or the baby, or when the labour is not progressing as expected.

“In these circumstances, a Caesarean birth can be a life-saving procedure.”

According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), in 2021 the average age of mothers who gave birth in England and Wales was 30.9 years.

Statistics released by the Office for Health Improvement & Disparities in May showed 25.9 per cent of people over the age of 18 in England in 2021 to 2022 were obese and the prevalence was similar among women (26.1 per cent) and men (25.8 per cent).

Lowest births in two decades

The number of births last year is down from the 578,562 recorded in the previous 12 months.

It is the lowest level since 541,700 births were recorded in 2001/2002.

Justine Roberts, the chief executive and founder of parents’ website Mumsnet, said: “Whether or not to have children is a deeply personal decision, but it’s one that’s often influenced by financial factors.

“As the cost-of-living crisis continues, we hear from increasing numbers of Mumsnet users who worry that they simply can’t afford to have kids.

“Given sky-high childcare costs, a housing crisis, and ever increasing food and fuel bills – not to mention a stubborn gender pay gap that’s exacerbated by motherhood – it’s not really surprising that the birth rate is falling.”