Caesarean births result in developmental problems
children born by caesarean section could have developmental delays in their grammar, numeracy, reading and writing later in life compared with children born by vaginal delivery.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-09-14/caesarean-births-linked-to-developmental-delays-later-in-life/8943838
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From the original article link:
The study's co-author, Dr Cain Polidano?, who has two children born by caesarean, is also keen to reassure parents about the evidence so far.
"One thing we do know is that these effects are not going to be as large as the difference that mum and dads can make by providing and stimulating and supportive environment," he said. "That's certainly going to be more important than whether they had a C-section."
From an SMH article about the same study:
Professor Joel Bornstein, a neurophysiologist who co-authored the research, suspects that differences in babies' gut bacteria could be behind the delay. Dr Polidano (another co-author) hopes it triggers discussion about the risks of caesarean births. But he said providing children with a healthy, supportive home life always trumped any differences that arose from caesarean delivery.
The researchers tested the robustness of their results by excluding mothers with elevated health risks which led to caesareans and could impact a child's development. But the results remained the same.
The research is not conclusive enough to trigger changes to birthing practices, according to Dr Charlotte Elder from the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists.