C-section babies more likely to become overweight in later life

Babies born by Caesarean section are more likely to be overweight or obese as adults compared to children who have a natural birth.

The odds of being overweight or obese are 26 per cent higher for those born by C-section, according to a large study.

The analysis was based on using combined records from 38,000 people involved in 15 studies in 10 countries. The researchers from Imperial College London found the average body mass index, a measure of body fat, was higher in adults born by Caesarean compared to those from natural births. Their results are published this morning in the journal PLOS ONE an open access journal from the Public Library of Science.

'Overweight or obese'
"This study shows that babies born by C-section are more likely to be overweight or obese later in life," said Prof Neena Modi, senior author of the study, who is based in the department of medicine at Imperial College London. "We now need to determine whether this is the result of the C-section, or if other reasons explain the association."

About 11.8 per cent of Irish births were by C-section in 1991, but by 2011 this number had risen to 27.3 per cent, according to a study by the ESRI.

Of the 8,846 births at the Rotunda Maternity Hospital in Dublin, 2,538 were by Caesarean section or 28.7 per cent. Of these 1,245 were elective and 1,293 were emergency, according to the hospital's annual report for 2012.