OXFORD, England, Feb. 14 (UPI) -- A British study of women who had given birth by Caesarean section has found that the procedure leads to an increased risk of stillbirths.
By analyzing the live and stillbirth rates of prior Caesarean section patients, the study found that women who have had a Caesarean operation are slightly more likely than others to have a stillbirth during a subsequent pregnancy, The Telegraph reported.
Using records from the British counties of Oxfordshire and West Berkshire, the study found that 4.6 women out of 1,000 who once had a Caesarean would later have a stillbirth, a 1.1 percent increase over non-Caesarean patients.
The rate of women delivering by Caesarean section has recently increased to more than 23 percent, and Oxford University's Dr. Ron Gray said the procedure could lead to increased stillbirths.
"These findings suggest that Caesarean section in one pregnancy slightly increases the risk of stillbirth in following pregnancies," he said. "This is now the fourth study of this kind to have shown an increase risk."
Researchers told the paper the increased risk could be caused by the impact a Caesarean may have on the formation of a placenta.
