News

Caesarean section - when did you start to drive?

In this month’s (August) Australian and New Zealand Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology  there is a report of a survey of women and health providers regarding the timing of driving a car after experiencing a caesarean section. The survey was undertaken by researchers at Kolling Institute of Medical Research, University of Sydney, NSW, Australia.

The reasearchers state that around 30% of women experience a caesarean section in NSW. This figure is similar to some maternity hospitals in NZ. The aim of the survey was to determine the information provided to women following caesarean section and by whom it was given, and compare this with women’s actual driving behaviour. The women completed a survey of five questions documenting the information they received about when to commence driving, prior to leaving the hospital. The women were then telephoned 6–8 weeks postpartum and asked when they drove and whether they experienced any problems. After this they conducted a staff survey to establish what information was given to women. The researchers also contacted insurance companies and government departments for relevant polices about when women can drive post caesarean section.

100 women completed both surveys (99% of recruits); 65% were advised to wait for 6 weeks or longer before driving. However, 72% of women reported they had driven by 6 weeks, and 35% by 3 weeks. Women in this study reported minimal discomfort and rarely discontinued driving. One hundred and thirty eight staff returned the survey and it revealed inconsistent advice ranging from no advice to 8 weeks of driving abstinence. Other recommendations included following insurance company guidelines (of which there were none specific to post caesarean section in NSW) (34%), ‘listen to your body and be able to perform an emergency stop’ (27%). They concluded that women receive conflicting advice, and current recommendations are not reflected in women’s behavior in NSW. Women are driving earlier than advised with minimal reported complications.

Take a survey and let me know your experience of driving after caesarean section

Paternal obesity and it's affect on pregnancy

There is a lot of literature around the affect of maternal obesity on pregnancy. The study undertaken in Australia and being presented at the conference over the next few days suggests that paternal obesity negatively impacts on the sperm resulting in poor placental development, smaller babies and poor pregnancy outcomes and is encouraging men to shape up..... Read More