On 19-May-05 Stephen McKay wrote:
> Not sure if this simply swaps one set of confusions/issues for another,
> but a quick analysis of the Millennium Cohort Study certainly shows a
> strong link between mother's age at birth and rate of Caesareans for
> 2001-2003-ish (the survey data seemingly at least as recent as the
> admin data being referred to). Older mothers, more Caesareans. The
> figures seem in line with the admin data, too.
>
> However, first babies (primiparous or whatever the demographers say) -
> more c-sections but a lower rate of planned Caesareans, much higher
> rate of emergency ones. Smaller families -> higher % of births are
> first births? Perhaps another factor.
>
> [row %s]
> {age at birth} {planned c.} {emergency c.} {'normal'}
> 14-19 2% 9% 77%
> 20-29 7% 11% 71%
> 30-39 12% 13% 64%
> 40+ 16% 19% 60%
>
> All 9% 12% 68%
>
> First birth 6% 19% 57%
> Others 12% 8% 77%
>
> (dropped categories are mostly 'assisted' births, forceps etc).
I think Age of Mother may not be so straightforward a factor as
it might seem on the surface.
Our experts on Obs&Gyne can help with the facts of today, but
my memory of the situation some 20-odd years ago was that once
a caesarean had been performed then subsequent births to the
same mother would also be by caesaren (because of the damage
to the uterus and risk of rupture in normal labour).
On that basis, one would expect an increase with Age of Mother
since subsequent births occur at later ages.
Maybe things have improved since then (though I doubt the issue
can have entirely gone away).
Presentation of rates merely by Age cannot separate out sequential
dependencies of this kind.
Best wishes to all,
Ted.
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E-Mail: (Ted Harding) <[log in to unmask]>
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Date: 19-May-05 Time: 09:57:57
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