C-Section Raises Asthma Risk

Filed in archive Allergy: Research and Development , Asthma on February 8, 2009

© salimfadhley

According to a recently published study, children born by cesarean delivery are at increased risk for developing asthma, particularly if the condition already runs in the family.

Overall, children delivered by c-section were 79 percent more likely to develop asthma than children born vaginally, the investigators found. The association between c-section and asthma was even stronger for children born to one or two allergic parents than for children born to parents without allergies.

Of course, in many cases, mothers do not have a choice but to giv birth via C-section. But in cases of elective C-section, mothers should be advised of this increased health risk to their child.