Giving Birth to Obesity: Do Caeserean Sections Increase the Risk of Offspring Obesity in Childhood to Young Adulthood compared to Vaginal Birth Delivery?

Abstract

Cesarean section (CS) rates are steadily rising and have exceeded the maximum recommended level of 15% by the OECD/WHO. It has been predicted that specifically in the upper and middle income countries, CS may eventually surpass vaginal births as the primary mode of delivery. Moreover, research has shown that this mode of delivery could have short and long term harmful effects that may pose a risk for offspring obesity and overweight. The objective of this structured review is to examine the relationship between mode of delivery and the risk of offspring obesity in later life by comparing caesarean and vaginal delivery. A structured review was done on 11 articles extracted from 5 databases and an inclusion criteria was set. Reviewer discrepancies were resolved with a consensus discussion. A few search terms were pre-selected, and they included: caesarean section, obesity OR overweight, childhood OR offspring, and caesarean section and obesity. Of the 11 articles that were reviewed, there were 8 that found an association between CS delivery and obesity and overweight. Furthermore, 2 of the articles found no correlation between the variables, and 1 remained inconclusive. In conclusion, there is an association between CS delivery and offspring obesity and overweight.