A new study out of Australia reports that children born with medical interventions are more likely to have short- and long-term health issues. A group of international researchers teamed up with researchers from Western Sydney University, and they looked at a number of interventions during labor and delivery and the effect they had on babies in the first 28 days, as well as the effect they had on children up to 5 years of age.

The study looked at 500,000 women who had healthy, low-risk pregnancies and gave birth from 2000 to 2008. The medical interventions that were studied include induced labor, hormones to speed up labor, delivery by vacuum or forceps, and delivery by Cesarean section.

The babies who were born with one of these interventions experienced more jaundice and feeding problems in the first 28 days than babies who were born through a spontaneous vaginal delivery. Additionally, C-section deliveries left babies with more low temperatures that required more medical intervention. Some of these short-term risks were already well-known, and these are the concerns that parents are informed about when weighing the risk and reward of the intervention during labor and delivery.

However, parents are not made aware of long-term risks, mainly because the long-term health concerns haven’t been studied this thoroughly ever before. The researchers who did this study found several long-term problems when they looked the children at five years of age. Firstly, children born via Cesarean section, especially emergency C-section, had the highest rates of diabetes and obesity at age five. Additionally, children born with any form of intervention had higher rates of respiratory infections, like pneumonia and bronchitis, at age five than other children. They also had higher rates of diabetes, obesity, and eczema.

So what can be done? If your doctor says you need a medical intervention, what do you do?

Be Proactive During Pregnancy

The key to avoiding interventions begins when you first get pregnant. You want your body to be as prepared as possible to birth your baby and you want your baby to be in the perfect position so that no interventions are needed. Chiropractic care is a great way to help you be proactive during your pregnancy to give you the best chance of a normal vaginal delivery with no interventions.

Getting regular chiropractic adjustments throughout your pregnancy will help you adjust to your changing body more easily, all the while reducing pain and improving overall comfort. Additionally, it helps your spine and pelvis to stay balanced and aligned while it shifts to make room for the baby. One study found that 25% of women under chiropractic care had shorter labor during their first pregnancy, and 31% had shorter labor in second and subsequent pregnancies. A whopping 75% of pregnant women under chiropractic care had a relief of pain due to getting adjusted, and 92% of women who sought chiropractic care to turn a breech baby saw successful turning and resolution of the breech position.

All of the benefits of chiropractic care during pregnancy can help you have a healthier pregnancy and easier delivery, which will lead to fewer interventions during labor and better long-term health for you and your children. If you want to take proactive steps towards a healthier pregnancy and a healthier life for your child, get in touch with Lithia Springs chiropractor Dr. Ron Bolar today. He and his team at Vital Life Chiropractic would love to serve you and help you and your family achieve better overall health.

 

Sources

Borggren, C.L. “Pregnancy and Chiropractic: A Narrative Review of the Literature.” Journal of Chiropractic Medicine, 2007 Spring; 6(2): 70-74. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2647084/.

Choahan, N. “Birth Interventions ‘Negatively Impact Child’s Long-Term Health.’” The Sydney Morning Herald, 2018 Mar. https://www.smh.com.au/national/birth-interventions-negatively-impact-child-s-long-term-health-20180325-p4z66i.html.