Thousands of Caesareans could be avoided

Statins in pregnancy to cut Caesarean numbers | Cholesterol drugs to help pregnant women

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Pregnant women with high cholesterol are more likely to need an emergency Caesarean to give birth, but that could soon change, according to new research.

Why are Caesareans in the news?

New research suggests that pregnant women taking cholesterol-lowering drugs called statins will cut the risk of an emergency Caesarean section operation, also known as a C-section, to give birth to their baby.

Why is this such a problem?

Overweight and obese women are more likely to need an emergency C-section because high cholesterol levels interfere with the womb's ability to contract and cause a slow labour, according to a study at the University Of Liverpool.

What's the issue with Caesareans?

Around 150,000 C-sections are carried out every year in England and Wales and, for most women, they are performed without a problem.

But rising levels of obesity are thought to be behind the increasing number of Caesareans. The number performed in the last 20 years has doubled and all Caesareans come with an increased risk to the mother. Women who have Caesareans take longer to recover and have a higher risk of infection and bleeding.

And what are statins?

Statins are drugs prescribed specifically to help heart disease. They work to lower cholesterol, which in turn cuts the change of people suffering from heart attacks and strokes. Around 4 million Britons currently take statins.

When prescribed to overweight or obese pregnant women, they would only need to be taken during the last 6-8 weeks of the pregnancy.

How many women would benefit?

At the moment it's impossible to tell, but according to one of the researchers Dr Siobhan Quenby, 'even if only 5% of Caesareans are prevented, thousands of women would be saved from the risks.'

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