Iceland: lowest Caesarian rate in Europe

Iceland has the lowest rate of births by Caesarian section in Europe, reports the International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecologists (BJOG).

The BJOG report, issued yesterday, indicates that Caesarian-delivery rates in European countries range from as much as 52% in Cyprus to just 14.8% in Iceland.

According to the thelocal.it news website, there are several clear reasons for some of the very high figures. Many doctors perceive Caesarian-deliveries to be generally safer than natural birth, particularly for older women. Some prefer Caesarian sections as they enable them to better plan delivery dates and pre-natal and post-natal care. Women whose first child was delivered by Caesarian section are more likely to be advised to repeat the procedure for subsequent births.

Marina Cuttini, co-author of the report, does however point out that Caesarian sections are still major operations and, as such, can be risky and painful for both mother and child.