‘Aim to perform 100% natural deliveries in govt hosps unscientific’

CHENNAI: Government doctors on Friday said that it is unscientific for government hospitals to aim for 100 per cent natural birth deliveries as suggested by Health Minister Ma Subramanian recently.

Doctors say that it can increase the risk of infant mortality and maternal mortality also and the Health Minister should avoid making such statements in public.

Government Doctors Association on Friday said that there are several misconceptions on natural birth and we have also come across incidents of people trying to perform delivery while watching YouTube. In order to prevent such incidents, the delivery should be performed in hospitals under the supervision of a medical professional.

Consultant obstetrician and gynecologist Dr R Shanthi explained that there are misconceptions that baby born through c-section is not unhealthy, which is not true. There can be certain complications that arise post partum in case of normal delivery also, and only after few days of the birth, based on the overall health condition of the mother and the child, it can be determined that the delivery was healthy or not," she said.

She added that C-section can save the lives of the mother and child, based on the health condition of the mother. Caesarean is inevitable when there are complications such as the baby is overweight, or if the mother has high blood pressure, Diabetes or premature separation of the placenta.

Doctors said that the latest advancements in the obstetrics and neonatal care has only made c-section safer and there should not be a pressure for 100 per cent natural delivery.

"C-section has proven phenomenal in saving the lives of mothers and newborns in past several years. In many fetal and maternal death audits, it has been reported that c-section was not done in time and could have saved the lives. The decision to perform the c-section should be with the doctor and the pregnant mother," said Dr G R Ravindranath, secretary of Doctor's Association for Social Equality.