[ad_1]
Published:
From: TT
Published:
Photo: Gustav Sjöholm / TT
Every fifth birth begins artificially, new statistics show.
More and more births are started artificially. This at the same time that the average age of new mothers continues to increase. For the first time, he is over 29 years old.
The proportion of births in which labor is started artificially has been increasing steadily for a long time. Last year, this proportion was as high as 20.7 percent, according to statistics from the National Board of Health and Welfare.
This is partly due to the fact that recent research shows that there is an advantage in bringing the birth earlier, rather than later, in relation to conditions such as gestational diabetes or poisoning during pregnancy, says Anna Sandström, rapporteur for the National Board of Health and Welfare and active in the Karolinska University Hospital in Solna.
There may be a number of reasons why it is necessary to start labor. That the fetus is not growing properly, that the woman is expecting more than one child, underlying diseases or that the pregnancy has passed over time.
Can be beneficial
Initiation can be done medically or with the help of mechanical aids, such as a balloon catheter.
– The procedure depends on the degree of maturity of the uterine tube and whether or not you have had a previous cesarean section, says Anna Sandström.
The share of startups has been increasing for several years. In 1993, this proportion was 7.8 percent, compared to just over 20 percent today.
However, the regional differences are great. At Dalarna, this share was 25.6 percent last year, compared to 13.5 percent at Blekinge.
– It is better if the woman starts on her own, but it is not a negative development. The important thing is that there is an indication. In the past, there was a fear of getting started, but recent research has shown it to be more beneficial. It is also more common today for women themselves to want to be initiated, says Anna Sandström.
Fatter and older
Then she is even more concerned about another event: that pregnant women are getting fatter and fatter. In 2019, the average age of new mothers in Sweden for the first time was over 29 years (29.1). At the same time, the proportion of pregnant women who are overweight or obese has also increased. In 1992, this share was 25.4 percent, compared to 43 percent last year.
Both obesity and age increase the risk of complications for both mother and baby, both during pregnancy and during childbirth.
– It is an incredibly clear change that has occurred and we see that it continues. A high BMI (body mass index) is associated with an increased risk, not only of gestational diabetes and poisoning during pregnancy, but also of other complications, such as a large child, a prolonged birth and birth defects, says Anna Sandström.
Medical care can help, he says, with advice and support, for example, while it would be better if it occurs before pregnancy.
– But preventive measures, what is done to prevent this development, are not entirely optimal. Instead, it keeps increasing. It’s a troubling development, he says.
Published:
Published:
