What is the rate of caesarean births in the UK?
The following information is quoted directly from a BBC report on a study carried out by the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists on behalf of the Department of Health 28. It involved an audit of every maternity unit in England and Wales over a three-month period between May and July of 2001. 30 years ago just 3% of babies were born by caesarean section in the UK, now in England & Wales the average is 21.5%, this rate varies from region to region: • North Eastern – 19.3% • Worth Western – 19.6% • East Midlands – 20.4% • West Midlands – 21.8% • Eastern – 21.4% • London – 24.2% • South East – 22.6% • South West – 19.4% • Wales – 24.2% • Northern Ireland – 23.9% The study found that for all caesareans carried out in England and Wales the main reasons included foetal distress (22%), lack of progression during labour (20%), previous caesarean (14%) and a breech baby (11%). The National Sentinel Caesarean Section Audit Report 14 collected international rates of caesareans over t
