Hospitals see decline in C-section with birth action plan

ISTANBUL

Hospitals across Türkiye have witnessed a significant 26-percent drop in requests for and procedures involving cesarean sections since the launch of the Health Ministry's birth action plan in October 2024.

The “Normal Birth Action Plan” promotes natural childbirth and aims to reduce cesarean section rates and maintain a sustainable population growth rate.

Özlem Aydın, the director of healthcare services at an Istanbul hospital, highlighted the impact of the initiative.

“In 2024, our hospital recorded a total of 2,144 births, with 41 percent being natural deliveries and 25 percent classified as primary C-sections.”

The cesarean rate has risen in recent years, with a nationwide study conducted between 2018 and 2023 revealing that 57.6 percent of 6 million births were via C-section.

Addressing the reason behind the high demand for C-sections, Aydın pointed to “tokophobia,” the fear of childbirth, which arises from traumatic experiences or perceptions of labor pain.

“This is why midwives play a crucial role in reassuring and guiding them,” she explained.

Under the Normal Birth Action Plan, pregnancy schools and midwifery clinics have been established nationwide.

The initiative also includes the “One Midwife per Expectant Mother” project to ensure continuous midwife support throughout pregnancy and childbirth.

“We provide educational sessions, familiarize expecting mothers with delivery rooms and introduce them to their doctors. This fosters trust and allows them to give birth in a comfortable environment,” Aydın added.

Süleyman Salman, the head of the hospital’s Obstetrics and Gynecology Department, emphasized that Türkiye’s C-section rate exceeds the World Health Organization’s recommended levels and added, “Our goal is to align with WHO standards.”