Researchers studying births in Scotland have found that nearly a quarter of all births are now by caesarean compared with only 11% in the 1980s. The analysis considered around 365,000 babies born in 1980-81, 1990-91 and 1999-2000.
Ruth Dundas, of the Medical Research Council's Social and Public Health Sciences Unit at the University of Glasgow, said: "Thirty years ago mothers having caesarean sections were more likely to come from deprived areas and/or from a lower social background.
"This was true for both elective and emergency sections. Now the growth is being mainly driven by an increase in more affluent women."
The increase has partly been attributed to the rise in maternal age for first time mothers. The average age of the first time mother in the UK is now 29, up from 25 two decades ago. It is thought that older mothers are more likely to experience complications in labour leading to an increase in emergency caesareans and also a rise in women demanding elective caesareans second time round.
iMama.tv Expert, Obstetrician Dr Cecilia Bottomley explains why vaginal birth after a c-section is often recommended despite the possible risks of uterine rupture. However up to 70% of women do go on to have a successful vaginal birth following a caesarean.
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