NICE has today (23 November 2011) published its revised guidelines on caesarean section which provides several new and updated recommendations on the procedure.
NICE's original clinical guideline on caesarean section was published in April 2004. Since then, much new evidence has been published and there have been changes in clinical practice.
The current c-section rate for 2009-10 was 24.8%.
Dr Anthony Falconer, RCOG President said "We must remember that caesarean sections are clinically indicated to improve safety and outcome for mothers and babies in well defined situations. Recent advances in medical science have made the procedure much safer and for most women the complications of this operation are low. The NICE clinical guidelines ensure that the highest standards of care for women and their babies are maintained for those undergoing caesarean section.
"The decision to perform a caesarean section should be based on sound clinical indications and doctors are duty-bound to ensure that women are aware of the risks and benefits of the operation. These new guidelines provide women and their families with good information on what to expect should they have a caesarean section and the implications of such action on future birth options."
Wednesday 23 November