Babytalk | C-sections help save the lives of mother and child

A cesarean section is a surgical procedure done to preserve the life of the mother. It is also done if the baby’s life is in danger. Since improvements over the centuries have been discovered and implemented, it probably has saved millions of lives.

Cesareans are also commonly called C-sections. There are references to cesareans back to the first century A.D.. There were done when the mother had died in childbirth to rescue the baby. The word cesarean comes from the Latin word caedere, which means “to cut.”

In 1581, Francois Rousset wrote about cesarean deliveries. He described the procedure after he received information from letters sent to him. He never actually saw one. By the 17th century, there were more reports about cesareans, but it was still a rare operation.

The reason it was so rare was there was no anesthesia, there was excessive blood loss and infections. All of these things could lead to death for the mother.

In the mid-1800s diethyl ether allowed doctors to experiment with putting patients to sleep during surgery. It started with dentists performing dental procedures and then made it’s way to surgical theaters.

The British doctor, Dr. John Snow, is credited with being one of the first to discover the connection between the amount of ether administered to the patient, the temperature of the enviornment and how it impacted the health of the patient.

In 1853, he attended Queen Victoria during the birth of her son, Leopold. He used chlororform as an anesthetic during her cesarean delivery. She was thrilled with the results and had him attend her again in 1857 for the delivery of her daughter Beatrice.

Even though the use of anesthesia made it more bearable, many women died from blood loss and infections. In 1922, Dr. John Kerr described a way of cutting into the uterus that decreased blood loss. His incision technique is still used today. By 1940 penicillin became widely available. It had a dramatic affect in reducing infections.

In 1928, the percentage of women having cesarean deliveries at Chicago Lying In Hospital was 3 percent. In 1965, it was 16.5%. Now the average percentage is around 35%.

It is important to also acknowledge the percentage of women dying during childbirth is dramatically lower than it was in the 1920’s. It still is considered major abdominal surgery with many more risks that a vaginal or normal delivery.

Discuss with your healthcare provider any concerns you have about your delivery options. It is important to feel confident with your provider and the place where you are delivering. Take classes to prepare yourself. If you do end up with a cesarean delivery, know it was done to protect both you and your baby.

And be glad you live in this century.

This story was originally published November 17, 2020 at 5:00 AM.