Hong Kong mothers who opt for caesarean section at risk if they get pregnant again

Women who give birth by caesarean section are putting themselves at risk of a potentially life-threatening condition if they get pregnant again, a Queen Elizabeth Hospital study has revealed.

Mothers with a caesarean scar on their uterus were 24 times more likely to develop the rare condition known as morbidly adherent placenta than those with an unscarred uterus.

Since 1999, some 39 mothers attending the Yau Ma Tei hospital have suffered the serious complication, in which the placenta grows deeply into the wall of the uterus and is unable to detach after childbirth.

"Application of caesarean section should be minimised, especially in those who wish to pursue another future pregnancy," said the researchers.

The condition has been on the rise in recent years, from affecting 17 babies per 100,000 a decade ago, to 79 babies between 2009 and 2013, the study found, since more Hong Kong women now opt for surgery over natural birth.

The condition is also more common among mainland mothers giving birth in Hong Kong, since they were more likely to have undergone a caesarean section or had an abortion - which also leaves scars on the uterus - said a private doctor.