Medic 2 Midwife

C-Section Babies At Higher Risk for Obesity

http://www.mothersofchange.com/2010/08/sharons-story.html

 

 

According to the article in the Archives of Disease in Childhood, researchers have linked an increase risk for obesity in c-section babies over vaginal birth babies. Researchers site that there may be different gastrointestinal processes occurring in the c-section babies that cause this increased rate of obesity. Though there is no dependant clause stating the specifics of the research performed, including and not limited to: baby's diet, feeding schedule and/or the genetic factors of parents and family members.

I question the validity of this study and wonder if the higher rates of obesity in c-section babies are linked to a more mainstream trend in parenting in which babies are formula fed with high frequency and parents often supplement with a cereal/formula bottle and begin solids early. I also wonder how many of these c-sections in question were elective, after failed vaginal births or were repeat cesareans.

As a mother of 3 very active children who were born via 1 emergency and 2 repeat cesareans, I can say that while they're taller than other children, they are no where near overweight and were not large babies, in fact one of my children was premature. Two of my children received breast milk during their first month, one of mine was exclusively formula fed. We never supplemented with cereal bottles and I avoided solids for as long as possible. There seems to be too many errors in this 'study' to make a conclusive statement that c-sections are causing obese babies.