In Focus by The Hindu Why are C-section rates rising in India?
Sep 29, 2025
In this engaging discussion, Dr. A. Jaishree Gajaraj, a senior obstetrician and gynaecologist from Chennai, sheds light on the skyrocketing C-section rates in India, which have risen from 8.5% to 21.5% since 2005. She explores various factors, including demographic shifts, the impact of obesity, and changing societal expectations. Dr. Gajaraj highlights the risks of surgical deliveries and the cost implications, while advocating for improved pain relief during labor. She calls for better education and antenatal counseling to empower expectant mothers in their choices.
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Demographics Raise C-Section Need
- Women are having children later and carry more medical risk factors like obesity, diabetes and hypertension.
- These shifts raise the baseline need for cesarean deliveries compared with past decades.
C-Section Is Higher-Risk Surgery
- Cesarean is an operative surgical procedure with anesthesia, incision and wound healing.
- These factors make complication rates and recovery demands higher than for vaginal births.
Social Expectations Drive Elective Demand
- Rising expectations and social beliefs influence elective cesarean demand in India.
- Families increasingly prefer planned deliveries to avoid pain or to align birth timing with beliefs.