The increasing fear of childbirth increases caesarean sections in the Husi region. The reason is suspected to be the end of childbirth coaching and insufficient consultation activities.
Cesarean sections that is, the share of cesarean births is increasing, informs Hus.
HS wrote about it on Tuesday.
The number of wards in the Husi region has steadily increased by a total of approximately 5 percent in five years. In 2023, 23.1 percent of births were cesarean sections.
HUS line manager of obstetrics and gynecology emergency operations, chief physician Aydin Tekay fears that the number of cesarean sections will continue to increase.
The threat is a weakening of women's patient safety.
“C-section is a big operation where the whole mother's stomach is opened. We don't want to cut anyone for nothing,” says Tekay.
“There is no evidence that there is a medical need to perform a C-section in more than 15-20 percent of births.”
According to the chief medical officer, a caesarean section is always a risk for the mother and the fetus, even though the maternal and infant mortality rate in Finland is very low.
“C-sections may result in, for example, placental attachment problems in subsequent pregnancies, in which case we end up with a new C-section and the risks increase. Surgery often also results in wound infections,” says Tekay.
The reason the increase in planned cesarean sections is attributed to increased fear of childbirth.
According to Tekay, fear of childbirth can be a matter of previous birth trauma. However, a significant part of the new arrivals to the planned section are first-time mothers.
“It is not likely that in all cases there is a real fear of childbirth.”
According to Tekay, from July 2023, the people in charge of the maternity wards of Husi hospitals have gathered several times to review past cesarean sections. The cases have been searched for a common factor.
Tekay suspects that the reason for the increase in the fear of childbirth is the insufficient resources of the counseling service, as well as childbirth coaching that was discontinued more than ten years ago.
On-site childbirth training was discontinued in 2012 during the four-year renovation of the Women's Clinic. After that came Corona and coaching was never started again.
Increased Sections are already burdening the gynecology departments of Hus hospitals, and there is also a risk of a decrease in patient safety.
For the first time, the number of sections has exceeded the number of other gynecological procedures.
“In practice, it means that the queues for other gynecological surgeries, such as surgeries to remove the uterus or myomas, i.e. uterine muscle tumors, will grow.”
The situation is accentuated in the Husi region, as 34 percent of all births in Finland take place there.
According to Tekay, C-sections have also increased in other maternity hospitals in Finland.
Their number has also been increasing in the world.
“We have been trailblazers in Finland, but now we are falling behind. For example, the number of sections in Norway is still 15 percent and in Sweden 21 percent.”
Tekay was recently getting to know the operation of maternity hospitals in Norway.
In Norway, midwives are involved in consultations from the beginning of pregnancy until delivery. It has had an effect on the number of sections remaining low.
Tekayn also in Finland, the matter should be addressed on the ground, i.e. in counseling rooms.
More resources are urgently needed for the counseling activities organized by the city.
“Support during pregnancy should be increased. In addition, childbirth coaching is needed.”
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