Caesarean section on request – a controversial request or the patient’s right?

Abstract

Summary: Caesarean section on request, a request that we have been encountering more and more recently. This can be interpreted as a primary caesarean section performed as a request of the mother without any relevant obstetrical or other medical indications in order to avoid vaginal delivery. The most common reason for mothers’ requests for caesarean section is the fear of childbirth and the associated pain. Currently, medicine recognises the patient’s right to actively participate in the choice of treatment procedures, including methods of delivery. We have accepted patients’ claim for various aesthetic surgical interventions, in case they provide informed consent. The same principle should be maintained for caesarean sections on request. Key words: caesarean section – choice of birth – maternal request – labor pain – informed consent