There is an opinion that a child born by Caesarean section is noticeably different from a baby born in the usual way. Is it so?

To answer this question, first of all, you need to separate the concepts: planned cesarean, as well as planned natural childbirth, cannot be put on the same level as emergency surgery.In the first and second cases, the child may indeed be born with some characteristics. Why? The fact is that in most cases the baby is not ready for the planned birth. After all, it is known that it is the baby who gives the signal for the onset of labor and does this only at the moment when enough strength accumulates in his body to do the hard work of going out into the world.

Logical?
However, can we conclude that the operation leaves a special imprint on the life of the “cesarean” and the child is at risk? Of course not. You just need to treat it with some attention in the first seven days. And this is very easy to do, since most of this time the children are in the maternity hospital.
- After the operation, the newborn is placed in an incubator, where the temperature is almost the same as in the mother’s stomach. Then they begin to gradually reduce it to make it easier for the baby to adapt to the familiar room environment.
- To avoid complications from the respiratory system, doctors establish monitoring for the child. The fact is that when a child passes through the mother’s birth canal, the baby’s chest contracts and amniotic fluid comes out of the lungs. Of course, this does not happen during surgery, which can cause problems for the child. However, in the next seven days, thanks to proper care, these deviations disappear.
- As for some lethargy of the child, which usually occurs on the 3rd–4th day after birth, its appearance is due to the fact that the “planned” baby does not have enough hormones: he has already used his mother’s, but has not yet accumulated his own. Wait a little and everything will fall into place.

Some doctors, as well as most young mothers, tend to explain all the ailments of the newborn by the fact that he is a “Caesarean.” It does not matter what exactly is the subject of concern: loudness or appeasement, bad or good dream, colic and neurological problems or their complete absence. However C-section This has absolutely nothing to do with it.

Good luck!

It’s another matter if the child was born during an emergency operation, which had to end a naturally occurring birth. In this situation, a baby is born ready to meet the outside world.
OLGA PARSHIKOVA, neonatologist, head of the newborn department of the Obstetrics and Gynecology Clinic named after.

All newborns are born in two ways - either through the birth canal or through an operation to open the uterine cavity. The idea that babies born by Caesarean section are different from other, “natural” babies is still relevant. Some researchers even name signs by which “Caesareans” can be distinguished.

Sterile intestines, but in the first weeks of life

Obstetricians of the Moscow Regional Research Institute of Obstetrics and Gynecology believe that babies born by Caesarean section, if they differ from those born naturally, are only the first two weeks of their lives. This is due to the fact that the “Caesareans” did not pass through the birth canal and, accordingly, during this important point did not receive the necessary hormones and bacteria from the giving birth mother, so their intestines are sterile. At first, such children do not digest food well and their immunity does not develop, they gain weight poorly, constantly regurgitate, and they may develop a fever. But within the first two weeks everything changes if mothers feed them with their milk. The “caesareans” acquire the necessary intestinal flora and then they develop in the same way as other babies. Moreover, if we evaluate the real threats to the health of newborns, then among “naturalists” this list is much longer due to possible birth injuries and complications during childbirth. Therefore, domestic obstetricians do not see much difference between children born by Caesarean section and those born naturally.

Asthma and other respiratory problems

Doctors at the University Hospital of Helsinki, Finland, believe that people born by Caesarean section have a 3.23 times greater risk of developing asthma than those born vaginally. They examined the medical records of more than 60 thousand people born between 1966 and 1976 and identified a pattern. Most people who have a medical record indicating a cesarean section at birth have problems with the respiratory system since childhood, and these have consequences in adulthood. Among the diagnosed diseases, 80% are asthma of an allergic and psychological nature. Finnish doctors attribute this to the fact that the “Caesarean babies” did not have the opportunity to take their first breath on their own, due to the fact that they did not pass through the birth canal and the alveoli of their lungs did not unfold on their own, but did so under the influence of medical stimulation. Therefore, in the future, such people developed breathing problems. However, this discovery was not confirmed among scientists from other countries.

Excess weight A few years ago, an article was published in the Journal of Pediatrics of the American Medical Association in which experts at the Harvard School of Public Health talked about the consequences they found in children born by cesarean section. They conducted a series of tests on more than 22,000 children over 16 years, and, among other things, specifically recorded all the data, including the method of birth. It turned out that 13% of this number of children were overweight and 76% of them were “Caesareans.” However, the causes of obesity in children born through surgery remained unknown until recently. And just recently, researchers from New York University School of Medicine published part of their work on this problem in the journal Advances in Science. Scientists conducted experiments with mice and found that there is a relationship between the weight of an individual and the way it was born. Mice born by Caesarean section were 33% heavier than their “natural” counterparts after 15 weeks. Moreover, it turned out that female mice had a more difficult time being born by Caesarean section than their brothers; the difference in the weight of females reached 70%! After analyzing the DNA of bacteria found in the intestines of baby mice, researchers found that the microbiome of mice born by Caesarean section differs significantly from the microbiome of their “naturally born” counterparts and not in better side. As a result, scientists concluded that a cesarean section actually programs the body born in this way for further obesity. However, this has not yet been clinically proven.

Increased intracranial pressure

Doctors at the National Hospital in Copenhagen, Denmark, also published some warnings about “Caesareans” in leaflets for mothers. They believe that children born through surgery often end up with increased intracranial pressure and should be observed by a neurologist. Since such a child did not have the opportunity of a gradual transition from the womb with an aquatic environment to the air world, in which the pressure is different from the one in which he was formed, the vessels of his brain experience an instant and strong load. It is very difficult to diagnose increased intracranial pressure in infants, so Danish neonatologists advise mothers who have undergone a caesarean section to undergo all neurological tests in the first year of their child’s life, so as not to trigger a possible disease in the future.

Lack of leadership qualities

Meanwhile, psychologists believe that “Caesar babies” are different from other children, primarily in their behavior. Thus, the famous American psychiatrist, Doctor of Philosophy in Medicine and honorary member of the Russian Psychological Society Stanislav Grof suggests that a child born by Caesarean section did not experience birth stress, but it is important for the formation of personality. Such children are subsequently friendly, but are not able to withstand pressure; in conflicts they often give in, cannot insist on their own, they are very vulnerable and sensitive. The psychologist draws a parallel between the fact that the “Caesareans” did not begin their birth journey on their own and the fact that they grow up lacking initiative and incapable of leadership. However, this issue is highly controversial. Among professional athletes, directors and officers, there are quite a few people born by caesarean section. For example, the famous film actor, director and producer Jackie Chan was born in this way, but he cannot be called indecisive and vulnerable.

Incapacity for love

Meanwhile, the famous French obstetrician-gynecologist Michel Auden also made a statement about people born through surgery. In his book “Caesarean section: a safe option or a threat to the future?” he declares that “Caesareans” are by nature incapable of love. Dr. Oden explains this by saying that “...A woman giving birth releases a “cocktail” of love hormones into the blood, the main component of which is the hormone oxytocin. During natural childbirth, a lot of oxytocin accumulates in the baby's body, and this person will be capable of love. And vice versa, if (...) it was a caesarean section, adrenaline prevails in the child’s body instead of oxytocin...” As a result, according to Michel Auden, such a person will not be able to fully love someone else, but only himself. However, many people born by cesarean section categorically disagree with this statement.

The post How to recognize a “Caesarean” among other children appeared first on Umnaya.

There is also an opinion that the emotional connection between the child and the mother is weaker in this case. Indeed, during childbirth, a woman releases the hormone oxytocin, thanks to which she immediately feels tenderness for her baby, and she begins to produce milk. With a caesarean section, it will take some time for the process to start.

One small study in 2008 compared MRI findings in women three to four weeks after giving birth. During the tomography they were allowed to listen to a voice crying baby(one's own, someone else's and simulated crying). The result showed that women who had a caesarean section had lower activity in the brain regions responsible for empathy and motivation than women who had a vaginal birth.

Researchers see the reason precisely in lower levels of oxytocin. To correct the situation, a woman needs to take the baby in her arms more often and place it on her breast; body-to-body contact has a good effect. It is not for nothing that in natural childbirth the baby is placed on the mother’s stomach immediately after birth.

"Caesareans" are lagging behind in development

This is wrong. Children born by caesarean section are not developmentally behind their peers. Exceptions can only be made if the operation was performed urgently to save the baby during a complicated birth, for example, there was acute fetal hypoxia.

Scientists examined the dependence of school performance in four groups of children born as a result of: natural birth without intervention from doctors, natural birth with intervention from doctors (meaning a vacuum extractor and obstetric forceps), planned cesarean section (before the onset of labor activities) and emergency caesarean section.

And the results of the study showed that there are practically no differences in school performance among children. That is, the indicator is so small that it must be interpreted with caution.

Increased risk of having a hyperactive child

Hyperactivity is a complex of neurological and behavioral disorders of a child. Caesarean section, as well as birth injury in natural childbirth, may become one of the risk factors, but far from the only one. Therefore, it is not worth drawing a relationship between cesarean section and hyperactivity.

Caesar babies are born less protected from bacteria

This opinion was formed due to the fact that babies do not pass through the mother’s birth canal, they are not placed on the mother’s stomach, and are not immediately applied to the breast. Some differences in the intestinal microflora, which contributes to the development of immunity, do exist in babies up to three months, but after that the differences disappear. Therefore, breastfeeding is of particular importance for the Keser children. With mother's milk, the baby receives her immunity, a “vaccination” against bacteria and viruses.

A child may suffer barotrauma during a cesarean section.

This opinion can be found on some forums for mothers. It's about that when a child is abruptly removed from his mother’s tummy, he, they say, due to a pressure drop, can get barotrauma, similar to “divers’ disease.” Pediatricians, neonatologists and neurologists are unanimous in their opinion that this is complete nonsense.

What injuries actually threaten the Caesarean?

It should be immediately noted that with a planned caesarean section the likelihood of injury is minimal. Very rarely, there are cuts on the baby’s skin that occur at the time of the incision of the uterine wall, injuries to the cervical spine with breech presentation of the fetus, damage to the central nervous system is possible, they occur more often with transverse presentation and weakness of labor, with cephalic presentation the baby may develop paresis.

It is worth noting that with the onset of labor, the fetus’s body begins to produce hormones that allow it to quickly adapt to the outside world after birth. During a planned caesarean section, these hormones do not have time to appear in the child’s body.

There is evidence that cesarean section significantly increases the risk of developing asthma. Scientists from Norway estimate that asthma develops 52 percent more often in children after cesarean section than in children after vaginal birth.

And yet, caesarean sections save the lives of mothers and babies around the world every day. Of course, it is better not to interfere with the natural process, but there are situations when surgery is vitally necessary. For a baby, both ways are not very simple - both natural birth and caesarean section.

Nature has established it so that, when born, a child must go through the difficulties of birth, and having overcome the birth canal, fall into the mother’s tender embrace. This natural way delivery, and it is optimal for the baby, both physically and mentally. When this natural order is disrupted, unwanted adverse consequences appear, which is why children after cesarean section need special care.

How do Caesarean children differ from babies born naturally, what does special care for the child mean and how to care for Caesarean children? Let's talk about this.

· Consequences of cesarean section for a newborn

When the child is in amniotic fluid in the mother's womb, he experiences a certain pressure, similar to what a scuba diver experiences at depth. In the case of natural delivery, the process of “rising from the depths” is carried out slowly, without causing harm to the baby. A completely different situation with (ks), newborn caesarean babies roughly and abruptly removed from their mother’s womb, cut open by a surgeon, have a hard time. Most of them are left with some sort of barotrauma. Children after cesarean are physically weaker and need more help.

In addition, childbirth is, in principle, serious stress for a child. When giving birth naturally, the mother has the opportunity to take the baby in her arms, place it on her chest and soothe him with the familiar sound of the heartbeat, and of course, attach the baby to her chest. Gentle hands and the mother’s affectionate voice give the child a feeling of security and safety, but Caesar’s children are deprived of all this. Torn out of their usual conditions, children experience shock and fear from the unknown and loneliness. That is why it is so important to correct the consequences of this fear in the future. Psychologists have identified a relationship between the attitude towards a child in infancy and his character in the future: if no one approaches a crying baby for a long time, leaving him screaming all alone, then traits such as cruelty and coldness subsequently appear in his character. Also with caesarians, the stress experienced can affect their psyche in different ways, among the worst consequences are mental disorders and the development of neuralgia. Therefore, both the attitude and care of a newborn after a caesarean section must be special and require more care, attention and warmth.

· Caring for a Caesarean begins before birth

If a caesarean section is planned, take better care of your baby while he is in the womb.

Agree with your doctor what anesthesia will be used; if possible, it should be epidural pain relief . This type of anesthesia has fewer undesirable consequences, both for the baby and for the mother. First of all, because its effect is shorter and the woman is conscious throughout the operation, so she can take the baby for feeding immediately after birth. Secondly, with epidural anesthesia, the child receives a smaller amount of drugs, and, therefore, the negative impact on his body is minimal. The ability to place the baby on the mother's breast immediately after birth helps smooth out the psychological consequences of a traumatic unnatural birth.

The expectant mother should get ready for breastfeeding immediately, since thanks to this the child’s body will be able to launch adaptation processes and form the necessary protection, usually formed during natural childbirth. About the benefits of breastfeeding it is generally unnecessary to speak, but for the Caesars it is simply necessary.

· Features of caring for a child after cesarean

About, how to care for caesarean babies medically , how often to conduct examinations, what tests to take, etc. we'll talk about it in another article. Here we will touch on the topic of what it should be home care for a newborn after a caesarean section, and how a mother should behave:

1. Caesarean children require longer and more adaptive bathing and swaddling,
2. Children after cesarean require more attention, they are often restless, especially at night,
3. Such babies are more sensitive to the transition to their own crib and need to sleep with their mother more. long time,
4. Caesarean babies often gain weight slower than other babies, which is why breastfeeding is an important component of caring for a newborn after a caesarean section.
5. Be sure to do gymnastics with your Caesarean, in support physical development and the formation of the immune system they especially need,
6. Studies have shown that babies born by cesarean section often have psychological problems, for example, anxiety, fear of change, short temper, absent-mindedness, difficulties with self-control and planning. Knowing this, pay attention to the manifestations of problems of this kind and help your child overcome them.

HOW TO FEED A CESAREAN BABY. Children after cesarean especially need direct contact and breastfeeding. You should start breastfeeding your Caesarean as early as possible and continue breastfeeding as long as possible. At first, the baby may be weak and eat poorly, so you will need to put him to the breast more often until he gains strength and weight. It is more convenient to do this while lying down, so as not to disturb the postoperative sutures with additional loads. The close contact that occurs between mother and baby during feeding is very important; it will help him survive the stress he has experienced without negative consequences. Psychologists have come to the conclusion that most Caesar babies subconsciously live with the feeling that the world did not want them to be born, no one loves them, no one needs them. Close contact with your mother helps prevent such thoughts. During feeding, it is recommended to gently stroke the baby and tell him sweet words. In general, try to tell your child more often that you have been waiting for his birth for a long time, that he is loved, that he is your joy.

HOW TO COMMUNICATE WITH A CESAREAN BABY. As a rule, upon returning from the maternity hospital, they begin to take baths and go for walks with the Caesarean baby later, unless, of course, the mother does not have a good assistant. However, new sensations and a change of environment are not always good for a caesarean; they can remind the child of the fear experienced at birth, so everything new and unusual should appear in his life gradually and accompanied by a gentle mother’s voice or touch. During walks, experts recommend changing playgrounds and routes more often, giving you the opportunity to get used to changing circumstances and places. This will help the child overcome his fear of change. You shouldn’t insist on your own if the baby clearly protests; it makes sense to first calm him down, console him, and give him time to get used to it. It is also not recommended to force the baby into a crib; such a step can cause children's nightmares. Children after a caesarean section sometimes really need the feeling of their mother’s warmth, the smell of milk, and the sound of her heart beating. Often, silence, peace, and mother’s hugs are much more valuable for such kids in the future than fun and toys.

MASSAGE AND GYMNASTICS FOR CESAREAN CHILDREN. Plays an important role in caring for a child after cesarean section. gymnastics and therapeutic massage . Try to start taking your baby to a massage therapist as early as possible, and more often stroke and knead yourself at home. At any opportunity, for example, when changing clothes, stroke, massage, play magpie-crow. It is advisable to do this in conditions that are comfortable for the baby.

HOW TO BATH A NEWBORN AFTER A COP. Water, as is known, has a beneficial effect not only on the body, but also on the nerves, so “water” care after a caesarean section should be frequent and long-lasting, allowing the baby to swim, relax and feel the security and peace similar to what it was during the times of his stay in his mother's tummy. It is advisable to bathe a newborn Caesarean baby by wrapping it in a thin diaper, so that splashes from involuntary movements of the arms do not frighten him.

In fact, caring for a child after a caesarean section does not imply anything special - only love, care and patience, which loving mother there is always plenty for your child. At proper care possible adverse consequences of the operation will disappear without a trace. The baby will grow up healthy and happy. The main thing is to let him feel protected and loved.

The birth of a new life is always a miracle. I would like the birth of the baby not to be complicated by either a difficult birth or abnormalities in the development of the fetus. But it doesn’t always work out as planned; a woman is prohibited from giving birth naturally due to eye diseases, breech presentation of the baby, or problems with the spine. The woman in labor agrees to a cesarean section, although she knows that this is not very good for the newborn, because the operation is performed under anesthesia, the baby does not pass through the entire birth canal, and therefore cannot quickly adapt to the new pressure environment and in such a short period of time get used to foreign microflora.

Childbirth or caesarean section?

Every year more and more Caesarean children appear. This happens by various reasons, one of which is a woman’s natural fear of childbirth. After all, the health of the unborn baby depends on how successfully or unsuccessfully they go.

Doctors have found that children after cesarean section are different from normal ones passing through the birth canal. Since birth occurs instantly, the child’s nervous, immune, and respiratory systems are launched with a slight delay, but the flora of the gastrointestinal tract is simultaneously enriched with lactobacilli, which is why there is a high risk of allergic reactions to many types of food. Digestion processes are delayed, so babies often suffer from stomach colic after cesarean section. In the first month of life in Caesarean children, constipation may be replaced by diarrhea, breast milk there will be diathesis. Anesthesia during surgery inhibits the nervous system.

All these facts do not speak in favor of the operation. It is believed that the doctor must convince the woman to give birth herself; cesarean section is indicated only if there is a serious pathology: hypoxia, umbilical cord entanglement, short contractions and fetal dehydration.

Fetal memory

Information about how childbirth proceeds is stored in a person’s subconscious. The memory of one’s own birth can give a person desire, will, endurance, and the ability to find a way out. difficult situations. Children born in the usual way must “make their own way”; they move along the birth canal, strive to see life and fight for it. How do Caesarian children differ from ordinary children psychologically? As a rule, they are inert, less mobile and more pessimistic, touchy, somewhat detached from problems, believe that life is a gift presented to them on a silver platter, use this gift free of charge, without giving anything in return, allow themselves to be loved, but often do not respond reciprocity.

Natural childbirth is a huge stress for the baby, which is why there is such a thing as fetal memory, which remembers the most difficult moments of birth. Caesar calves do not have such a memory, so they have low resistance to stress and almost no instinct of self-preservation. Caesarea children often have nightmares in which there is no way out, which is why complexes develop and character traits such as restraint, gloominess, stubbornness, and secrecy are formed.

The only advantage of a cesarean is that the child is born absolutely healthy, without injuries and has a perfectly round head.

Parents' love works wonders

If a child is surrounded by the care and attention of his parents, then he receives his first impressions from early childhood, which smoothes out his problematic birth. It is advisable to sleep together with your baby so that he constantly feels your presence, thereby satisfying the basic need for attention and love from people. From birth, you need to evoke positive emotions in any child, so that every day gives the baby new impressions and discoveries. Passing through the birth canal, it comes into contact with the walls of the uterus, and these are the first tactile sensations. Caesarean babies do not have this, so in the first days massage and stroke the baby, simulating the birth process.

If your doctor recommends that you have a cesarean section, do not think that your baby will be born with special psychophysical development, because the fate and health of the newborn will entirely depend on your behavior in the first days.