Private patients most likely to opt for c-section

Expectant mothers who opt for private hospital care are almost 50% more likely to pre-book a caesarean section than mothers who choose to have their baby in the public system, according to a study.

However, this is not because they are “too posh to push”, according to Richard Greene, director of the National Perinatal Epidemiology Centre, where the research was carried out.

Instead, it is more likely to be influenced by the need to plan around a career, or by age, with older women sensitive to the risk of increased obstetric complications.