Babies born by caesarean section are more likely to become obese as children, a study says. Photo / AP
Babies born by caesarean section are 15 per cent more likely to become obese as children compared to those born naturally, a study by Harvard University has found.
The study also showed that children born by c-section had a 64 per cent greater chance of becoming obese when compared with
natural born siblings, despite growing up in the same environment.
"Caesarean deliveries are without a doubt a necessary and lifesaving procedure in many cases," said Dr Jorge Chavarro, associate Professor of Nutrition and Epidemiology at Harvard Chan School of Medicine, the senior author of the study.
"But cesareans also have some known risks to the mother and the newborn. Our findings show that risk of obesity in the offspring could another factor to consider.
"Our findings particularly those that show a dramatic difference in obesity risk between those born via caesarean and their siblings born through vaginal delivery provide very compelling evidence that the association between cesarean birth and childhood obesity is real.
