Any woman expecting a baby,hopes that she will give birth on her own, naturally, as nature intended. However, unfortunately, sometimes this hope is not destined to come true, and the baby is born through surgical intervention - cesarean section. The indications for a cesarean section are quite varied - some of them can be identified even before a woman becomes pregnant, and some - only during labor. Of course, in most cases, pregnant women successfully give birth to their babies on their own. However, it is still necessary to familiarize yourself with the information about the reasons that can lead to the need for a cesarean section. After all, unfortunately, no pregnant woman is 100% insured against such a possibility. And if this happens unexpectedly for the expectant mother, it will certainly frighten her. And most of the time, this fear is based on the woman's lack of necessary information. But, as you know, it is the unknown that scares a person the most. And if a woman knows what a cesarean section is and why it may be necessary, she will be much calmer. So, let's figure out what are the indications for a cesarean section.
Absolute indications for cesarean section from mother's side
A cesarean section is a very serious matter.surgical intervention in a woman's body. That is why no doctor will perform a cesarean section just like that, without strict indications for it. Of course, in this case we are not talking about those private clinics that perform cesarean sections for crazy money on women who are afraid of labor pain. We will not discuss the ethics and professionalism of such doctors in this article - let them remain on the conscience of these same doctors. In all other cases, indications for a cesarean section are required to perform the operation. All indications are divided into two groups - relative and absolute. This is what will be discussed below. There are so-called absolute indications for a cesarean section on the part of the mother. Absolute indications are those situations in which natural childbirth is physically impossible. And, regardless of all other conditions and factors, the doctor is forced to perform the birth only by cesarean section. As a rule, in such cases, natural childbirth will inevitably lead to the death of the mother. Such indications include:
- Clinically narrow pelvis
One of the main indicators for implementationcesarean section is an absolutely narrow pelvis of a pregnant woman. Clinically, a narrow pelvis is such an anatomical phenomenon of the pelvis, in which the pelvic ring is so narrow that even the head of the fetus will not pass through it, not to mention the shoulders. Moreover, there are several ways to conduct labor with a narrow pelvis, so a cesarean section is resorted to in truly extreme cases. It goes without saying that if a woman was registered for pregnancy and regularly visited a doctor - a gynecologist, this pathology will be detected in advance. And a cesarean section will not be shocking news for a woman.
- Mechanical obstacles
In some cases, the obstacle tonatural childbirth and an indication for a cesarean section is the presence of certain mechanical obstacles that make the passage of the fetus through the birth canal impossible. Such mechanical obstacles may include large ovarian tumors, uterine fibroids, and others. As a rule, doctors notice such deviations during pregnancy, during routine examinations and ultrasound examinations. All of the above equally applies to all other tumors of the small pelvis, as well as deformations of the pelvic bones - both congenital and acquired as a result of certain injuries. In some cases, these defects also often create significant obstacles to the passage of the child through the birth canal.
- Threat of uterine rupture
As a rule, such indications for cesarean sectionsection appear in cases where a woman has a scar on the uterus. Scars on the uterus are the result of either a previous cesarean section or other abdominal surgeries on the uterus, which inevitably entail the appearance of a scar. Of course, a scar on the uterus does not always require a cesarean section - if healing has occurred normally, natural childbirth can be performed. But sometimes there are situations in which the scar on the uterus turns out to be insolvent and there is a very serious threat of uterine rupture. And this is a direct threat to the life of a woman, and sometimes the baby. In order to identify the insolvency of the scar, the woman needs to undergo an ultrasound examination. In the event that the contours of the scar are uneven and contain a large amount of connective tissue, and its thickness is less than 3 mm, doctors say that the scar is insolvent.
Absolute indications for fetal operation
In some cases, a cesarean section is performeddue to absolute indications from the baby. They are also extremely important, because natural childbirth in this case will inevitably lead to the death of the child. Such contraindications include:
- Placenta previa
Doctors call this placenta previaa position in which it is attached not as it should be - on the back wall of the uterus, but on its cervix. Such a position blocks the exit from the uterus for the baby. If a cesarean section is not performed in a timely manner, very heavy bleeding may begin, which threatens both the life of the mother and the child. This case is considered planned, since this pathology is most often detected in advance, during a planned ultrasound examination, which is usually performed at 36 weeks of pregnancy. The woman must be under strict medical supervision until the very birth. If there is no bloody discharge from the vagina by 38 weeks, then the woman will have a planned cesarean section. In some cases, it has to be done on an emergency basis if labor begins earlier than planned.
- Premature detachment of the placenta
Another indication for cesarean section is related towith the placenta - this is its premature separation, before the baby is born. Such a situation is extremely dangerous, since the baby stops receiving oxygen. This puts his life at risk, and the massive bleeding that inevitably occurs threatens the life of the mother. That is why in such situations doctors immediately perform an emergency cesarean section.
Relative indications for caesarean section from the side of the mother
In addition to absolute indications for the procedureThere are also relative cesarean sections. In such cases, natural childbirth is, in principle, possible. However, they are associated with a certain degree of risk to the life and health of both the mother and the baby. As a rule, such cases account for the overwhelming majority of all cesarean sections. In such cases, the question of the method of delivery is decided strictly individually in each specific case, taking into account all factors without exception.
- Chronic Maternal Diseases
Relative indication for cesarean sectionsection may be the presence of one or another serious chronic disease in the expectant mother. Such a disease may be a pathology of the cardiac or nervous system, cancer, diabetes, etc. In addition, a relative indication for a cesarean section may be an exacerbation of chronic diseases of the genital organs, for example, genital herpes. With natural childbirth, there is a risk of infection of the baby.
Relative indications for caesarean section from the fetal side
In some cases, there are relative indications from the baby:
- Incorrect presentation of the fetus
In some cases, the indication for cesarean sectionsection is the incorrect position of the baby. Sometimes a woman manages to give birth on her own, but in cases where the baby's presentation is combined with another pathology, doctors prefer not to take risks.
- Hypoxia of the fetus
If for some reasonthe baby develops intrauterine hypoxia, and the pregnancy period is long enough, the doctor may decide to perform a cesarean section. In any case, the woman should be prudent - if the doctor believes that there are indications for a cesarean section, do not resist. After all, caring for the baby's health is the main thing! We recommend reading:
