WHEN A CAESAREAN IS NECESSARY:SURGERY IS NECESSARY FOR:

Placenta praevia (low lying placenta)True cephalopelvic disproportion (when the baby’s head is too large to get through)

A baby in a transverse lie (though some doctors now advocate turning the baby in labour to avoid surgery)

Fulminating pre eclampsia

Cord prolapse

Certain other medical conditions which affect a mother’s health may also indicate surgery. These include:

Severe heart disease

Kidney disease

HIV (although under certain circumstances HIV infection may not pass to the baby).

Caesareans are unlikely to be necessary for:

Failure to Progress *

Fetal Distress *

Breech Presentation

Twins

Scarred Uterus

* providing, of course, no interventions have been used.