Diabetes risk associated with cesarean delivery

For those of you who have read the many media reports on research from the University of Belfast that has found that babies born by cesarean delivery have a 20% higher risk of developing Type 1 diabetes, you may want to read the press release in full here.

While it is important for a woman to include this diabetes risk in her birth risk and benefit evaluations, it is equally important for the risk to be placed in context, and if you read some of Dr Chris Patterson's (less reported) comments, you'll see what I mean.

For example: “The study findings are interesting, but unless a biological mechanism is established it would be unwise to read too much into this association between Caesarean section delivery and diabetes.

“Fortunately figures from the Northern Ireland Type 1 diabetes register indicate that only around five per 1,0000 children will develop diabetes by their 15th birthday so a 20 per cent increase is on quite a low baseline risk.”