Vol. 514 No. 5
159 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for Health and Children if, further to Parliamentary Ques tion No. 165 of 1 December 1999, he will make a statement on recent suggestions that the alarming increase in the level of caesarian sections in maternity hospitals over the past ten years has been caused by the growth of defensive medicine brought on by increased litigation and increased insurance costs. [4733/00]
The decision to perform a caesarean section is a medical decision that is taken by a qualified medical professional. While increased medico-legal litigation and defensive medicine are linked, there are no statistics to show the association, if any, between the two in relation to caesarean sections performed in this country. While rates for the procedure in Ireland have increased, this rate would now, on average, be comparable to the UK and the USA. There are many reasons why the number of caesarean sections have increased. These include greater patient awareness and demand, proven methods of antepartum and intrapartum foetal distress, together with reduced maternal morbidity. However, I have asked my Department's chief medical officer to seek the views of the Institute of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists as the organisation with professional responsibility for standards in this area.
