London - A woman’s risk of post-natal depression increases substantially if she has a Caesarean section, research shows.
The dangers are even greater following an “elective” Caesarean, as opposed to one arising from a medical emergency.
Researchers believe the results could be due to the time it takes to recover from the procedure, but added they may also be caused by a “sense of failure and a loss of control” felt when surgeons deliver a baby.
The study from the National Yang-Ming University in Taiwan of more than 10,000 mothers in the country found that those who did not have a Caesarian were a third less likely to experience post-natal depression.
The researchers also found that within the Caesarian group women were 48 percent more likely to experience depression if they had a planned procedure, rather than an emergency one.
According to the National Childbirth Trust, one in four British babies is born by Caesarean - more than double the rate seen in the early Nineties.
One in ten mothers gives birth via a planned Caesarean, usually due to health reasons, but around seven percent are carried out at the patient’s request - often because they are afraid to give birth naturally, had a previous childbirth trauma or want the convenience of a scheduled delivery. - Daily Mail