One in five babies are delivered by C-section as experts say it could be due to obesity

Nearly one in five babies were born by planned or emergency caesarean section last year, with experts suggesting this trend could be due to being overweight or women waiting until they are older before becoming pregnant.

Data published by NHS England also shows that the number of births is at its lowest level in more than two decades.

Of the 547,244 births in 2022-2023, a total of 17.4 percent were by elective caesarean section, a planned procedure usually performed around the 39th week of pregnancy.

This is an increase from 15.9 percent of the 578,562 births registered in the previous twelve months.

The share of emergency caesarean sections – where a vaginal birth is considered too risky – also increased from 20.1 to 21.9 percent.

Experts suggest the trend may be due to obesity or women waiting until they are older before becoming pregnant (Stock Image)

The statistics suggest a long-term upward trend in emergency caesarean sections in England.

In the period 2012-2013, a total of 671,255 babies were born ten years ago, of which 14.8 percent, or about one in seven, were born by caesarean section.

The proportion of both elective and emergency procedures in 2022-2023 is the highest since 1980, when NHS England started recording the data.

On the NHS, mothers can request a caesarean section even if there are no medical reasons for it. Mothers who do this are sometimes labeled as 'too chic to push'.

Benefits include the ability to plan the time and place of birth, rather than letting nature take its course at any time of the day or night.

However, a cesarean section carries the risk of complications, including blood clots, excessive bleeding, damage to adjacent areas such as the bladder or tubes connecting the kidney and bladder, and accidentally cutting the baby when the uterus is opened. It will also leave a scar.

Dr. Laura Hipple, vice-president of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, said: 'In recent years there has been a gradual increase in the number of caesarean sections.

'An important factor is the growing number of complex births. We are seeing rising rates of obesity and people choosing to have children later in life, both of which can increase the risk of complications.

'An emergency delivery or an unplanned caesarean section can take place if there are serious concerns about the well-being of the woman and/or the baby, or if the birth does not go as expected. Under these circumstances, a caesarean section can be a life-saving procedure.”

The Office for National Statistics says that in 2021 the average age of women who had given birth in England and Wales was 30.9 years.

In May, statistics from the Office for Health Improvement & Disparities showed that 25.9 percent of people over the age of 18 in England were obese from 2021 to 2022. The figures were 26.1 percent for women and 25.8 percent for men.

The number of births last year was down from 578,562 in the previous twelve months. It was the lowest level since 541,700 births were recorded in 2001-2002.

Justine Roberts, founder of parenting website Mumsnet, said: 'Whether or not to have children is a deeply personal decision, often influenced by financial factors.

'As the cost of living crisis continues, we are hearing from more and more Mumsnet users who are concerned that they cannot afford to have children.

'Given skyrocketing childcare costs, a housing crisis and ever-increasing food and fuel bills – not to mention the persistent gender pay gap exacerbated by motherhood – it's not really surprising that the birth rate is falling.'