C-sections up mothers’ infection risk

GIVING birth naturally is better for the health of both the mother and baby rather than opting for a caesarean section, research indicates.

Labour may help boost the immune system of women and their babies, according to research carried out at the Coombe Women's Hospital in Dublin.

Dr Eleanor Molloy, who led the research, said the findings suggested the decision to have a c-section may not be as straightforward as had been thought and she called for more extensive studies to be conducted to shed more light on how the immune system responded to labour.