Tag: c-section

Categories : Obstetrics & GynaecologyTags :

Caesarean Delivery Linked to Higher Risk of Pain and Sleep Problems After Childbirth

On By ModernMedia

New mothers are more likely to experience severe pain that disrupts sleep and activities of daily living, as well as develop sleep disorders, if they give birth by caesarean delivery (C-section), suggests research presented at the ANESTHESIOLOGY® 2025 annual meeting.

“Sleep is often overlooked in postpartum recovery, but it is central to a mother’s physical and mental health,” said Moe Takenoshita, MBBCh, lead author of the study and a postdoctoral scholar in the department of anaesthesia at Stanford University Center for Academic Medicine. “Caesarean delivery in particular appears to increase the risk for severe pain and sleep disorders, which can lead to postpartum depression, thinking and memory problems, and fatigue, as well as disrupt bonding with their babies and relationships with family and friends.”

The study included both qualitative and quantitative analyses. For the qualitative analysis, the authors interviewed 41 mothers about their pain and sleep experiences after childbirth, 24 of whom had vaginal births, 11 who had scheduled C-sections and six whose C-sections were unplanned. More than two-thirds of the mothers who had C-sections (73% of the scheduled cesareans and 67% of the unplanned) reported severe pain that disrupted sleep and activities of daily living, compared to 8% of those who had vaginal births.

For the quantitative study, the authors analysed a nationwide insurance database of more than 1.5 million mothers who delivered babies between 2008 and 2021. They determined that individuals who have C-sections are 16% more likely to be diagnosed with a new sleep disorder (eg, insomnia, sleep deprivation or obstructive sleep apnoea) between a month and a year after giving birth, compared to those who delivered vaginally.

New mothers, especially those recovering from C-sections, should be sure to manage pain adequately, since untreated pain can worsen sleep, said Dr Takenoshita. Other measures that can help to improve sleep include regular exercise as appropriate, sleeping when the baby sleeps, avoiding caffeine or alcohol late in the day, and relaxing before bed by taking a bath or practising deep breathing.

“About one-third of U.S. births are C-sections,” said Dr Takenoshita. “Those who are planning a C-section should understand that the procedure is linked to more severe pain after delivery and a higher risk of sleep disorders. Anyone having sleep problems during pregnancy or after childbirth should discuss their concerns with their physician, who can evaluate the issue, make recommendations and refer them to a specialist if necessary.”

Source: American Society of Anesthesiologists

Categories : Obstetrics & GynaecologyTags :

Beneficial Microbiota can be Restored at Birth in C-section Babies

On By ModernMedia
Photo by Christian Bowen on Unsplash

Babies born by caesarean section lack the same healthy bacteria as those born vaginally, but a Rutgers-led study for the first time finds that these natural bacteria can be restored.

The human microbiota, consisting of trillions of bacteria, viruses, fungi and other microorganisms, live in and on our bodies, some potentially harmful while others provide benefits. During labour and birth, women naturally impart a small group of colonisers to their babies’ sterile bodies, which helps their immune system to develop. But antibiotics and C-sections disrupt this conferring of microbes and are related to increased risks of obesity (59% increase), asthma (21% increase) and metabolic diseases. ‘Vaginal seeding‘, where a baby delivered by C-section is swabbed with their mother’s vaginal fluids at birth, is becoming increasingly popular.

According to the World Health Organization, C-section is needed in about 15 percent of births to avoid risking the life of the mother or child. However, caesarean birth rates continue to rise worldwide with recent (2016) reported rates of 24.5% in Western Europe, 32% in North America, and 41% in South America.

To see how well babies could be seeded with the mother’s microbiota after birth, the researchers followed 177 babies from four countries over the first year of their lives. Of these, 98 were born vaginally and 79 were born by C-section, 30 of which were swabbed with a maternal vaginal gauze right after birth.

Analysis showed that the microbiota of the C-section babies swabbed with their mother’s vaginal fluids was similar to that of vaginally born babies. Also, the mother’s vaginal microbiomes on the day of birth were similar to other areas of their bodies (gut, mouth and skin), indicating that maternal vaginal fluids help to colonise bacteria across their babies’ bodies.

This was the first large observational study to show that ‘vaginal seeding’ normalises the microbiome development during their first year of life. The next step would be conducting randomised clinical trials to determine if the microbiota normalisation translates into disease protection, the researchers said.

“Further research is needed to determine which bacteria protect against obesity, asthma and allergies, diseases with underlying inflammation,” said senior author Maria Gloria Dominguez Bello, a professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology in the School of Environmental and Biological Sciences at Rutgers University-New Brunswick. “Our results support the hypothesis that acquiring maternal vaginal microbes normalises microbiome development in the babies.”

Source: University News