Caesarean section

Caesarean section, also commonly known as C-section and other spellings, is a surgical procedure in which one or more incisions are made through a mother's abdomen and uterus to deliver one or more babies. A Caesarean section is often performed when a vaginal delivery would put the baby's or mother's life or health at risk. Some are also performed upon request without a medical reason to do so. The World Health Organization recommends that they should be done based only on medical need.

C-sections result in a small overall increase in poor outcomes, in low risk pregnancies. The poor outcomes that occur with C-sections, differ from those that occur with vaginal delivery. Established guidelines recommend that caesarean sections not be used before 39 weeks without a medical indication to perform the surgery.

In 2012 about 23 million C-sections were done globally. In some countries, C-section procedures are used more frequently than is necessary, and consequently governments and health organizations promote programs to reduce the use of c section in favor of vaginal delivery. The international healthcare community has considered the rate of 10% and 15% to be ideal for caesarean sections. Some evidence supports a higher rate of 19% may result in better outcomes. The first modern Caesarean section was performed by German gynecologist Ferdinand Adolf Kehrer in 1881. Today's typical method for the Caesarean section is the Pfannenstiel incision named after Hermann Johannes Pfannenstiel who modified the method of Kehrer in 1900.