One in four babies delivered by caesarean in England last year

One in four babies born in NHS hospitals in England last year were delivered by caesarean section, official figures show.

- Hannah Devlin

The gradual increase in caesarean births over the past decade is due to a "growing number" of complex pregnancies and births, caused by factors including rising obesity rates and women waiting until they are older to have children. The proportion of spontaneous deliveries that do not involve drugs or other medical interventions has steadily declined in the last 10 years.

"Over the past decade, there has been a gradual national increase in the number of caesareans," said Dr Ranee Thakar, president of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG). "A major factor of this is the growing number of complex births. We are seeing national rising rates of obesity and people choosing to have children at a later stage in their life, both of which can increase the chance of complications."

Of the 398,675 deliveries in England last year where the method of onset of birth was known, 101,264, or 25%, were C-sections. This was up from 23% in the previous 12 months and 13% a decade ago.