New research suggests that women who stay active and follow a healthy diet while pregnant have a 10 per cent lower chance of requiring a Caesarean section.
The research reviewed 36 studies taken across 16 countries and found that exercising and eating healthily helped women to have a natural birth, as they were less likely to have gained excess weight during the pregnancy.
Currently, around a quarter of UK births are by Caesarean which while considered to be incredibly safe, does carry a risk of complications. The most prominent risks attached to Caesarean births are excessive bleeding, the risk of infection and the chance of damage to the surrounding organs.
There are also a number of risks to the baby, with the most common of these being breathing problems, which usually improves shortly after birth.
23 of the studies used in the analysis included women of any weight, while seven were focussed entirely on obese women and six targeted both obese and overweight women.
The researchers found that, regardless of starting weight, women who followed diet and exercise advice during their pregnancy were less likely to gain excessive weight or require a Caesarean. It was also discovered that these women were less likely to develop diabetes over the course of pregnancy.
The research was published in the British Medical Journal.
