Pregnant women who demand caesarean sections because they are scared of giving birth may be required to see a specialist mental health worker, according to proposed new UK guidelines.
The worker should help the woman "address her fears in a supportive manner," according to the draft guidelines published by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence yesterday.
The guideline says the woman should be allowed to have the operation if the appointment fails to dissuade her.
They also relax the requirement for the most serious emergency operations to be carried out within 30 minutes – warning that sometimes this might cause harm.
Christine Carson, of NICE, said rates of caesarean section had increased dramatically in the last 20 years.
She said: "Rates of caesarean section have been rising in developed countries over the past four decades. In England, the rate was 13 per cent in 1992, whereas in 2008/9 it was 23 per cent.
"Recent evidence shows that a caesarean section is not necessarily the best course of action in some cases, for instance, where the mother has had previous caesareans, or is HIV positive. This new updated guideline includes revised recommendations for these scenarios."
The proposals were welcomed by the Royal College of Midwives.
Janet Munro, of the RCM, said: "We are particularly pleased to see the focus on an appropriate discussion of the risks and benefits of caesarean section and the importance of the psychological needs of women and their possible fears about birth."
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