Our Lady of the Candelaria University Hospital in Tenerife has introduced a new protocol enabling women undergoing a caesarean section to be accompanied during the procedure.
The aim of this initiative is to facilitate a “positive caesarean section” experience where the woman feels supported throughout, both emotionally and as an active participant in the birth of her child, as highlighted on Thursday in a statement from the Ministry of Health, under which La Candelaria hospital operates.
Over the past decade, the number of these procedures has dropped by 17.2% within the hospital network, with the goal of aligning with the targets set by international health organisations.
Additionally, the hospital recorded over 2,000 unique births last year, comprising 1,149 girls and 1,198 boys.
To benefit from this protocol, mothers must meet certain criteria: the caesarean section must be planned rather than emergent due to prior complications, it should involve single pregnancies, and the gestational age should be over 36 weeks, among other considerations.
Emergency caesarean sections and those associated with high obstetric risk, as well as situations involving maternal-fetal instability or complications related to anaesthesia, are exceptions.
This protocol ensures the safety of both mother and baby at all times and enhances the effective management of the caesarean section, recognising that it is a complex surgical procedure.
Once the mother provides her consent to have either her partner or a family member present, the guidelines for the companion must be adhered to, ensuring that health protocols are consistently maintained.
These guidelines include an immediate exit in the case of any complications or the implementation of a specific protocol to ensure a healthy birth.
In this manner, the benefits of skin-to-skin contact continue, which is known to enhance healing and presents significant advantages such as a more positive maternal perception of the childbirth experience, better adaptation of the newborn to life outside the womb, and an increased likelihood of successful breastfeeding both in the short and long term.
