One-third of first-time mothers give birth by C-section

THE number of Irish women giving birth by Caesarean section is continuing to rise, with almost one in every three first-time mothers undergoing the procedure.

Figures from the Consumer Guide to Maternity Services in Ireland (CGMSI) group show that medical reasons, hospital overcrowding fears and pressures reflected in society are contributing to the rise.

According to the nationwide survey, a little more than 30% of all first-time mothers — whose average age is 29.5, according to Central Statistics Office figures — give birth by C-section. This compares to 24.6% of all mothers who have given birth in recent years in Irish hospitals, meaning almost 19,000 of the 74,278 children born last year were delivered in this way.