A report published in a Saudi newspaper analysing the upward trend in the country among the women to opt for Caesarean birth has said the increase is due to "laziness" among pregnant Saudi women, who do not want to go through the natural birthing process.
According to Saudi daily 'Al Hayat', there has been a 67% increase in Caesarean delivery cases in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in 2015 compared to last year. In 2014, the jump was 45%, said the report, according to Emirates 24/7.
"The main reason for such large increases in Caesarean delivery cases is pregnant woman have become lazy. They do not move and they are not aware of the benefits of walking during pregnancy," Dr Ahmed Marzouq, a gynaecology and obstetrics specialist at the Saudi health ministry told Al Hayat, one of the leading pan-Arab newspapers with an estimated circulation over 200,000.
"The problem is most pregnant women are advised by their doctors to walk during pregnancy, but they come up with the excuse that there is nowhere for them to walk and the weather does not help," he added.
The report, despite blaming the Saudi women, does not take it into account instances in the past where several women in the country have complained that doctors force them to opt for C-section.
According to Arab News, a Saudi was once told by a doctor she would have to opt for C-section as she had a weak womb and normal delivery would be risky.
"A few months later, when I met my doctor and told her about it, she was surprised and said I was normal and did not require a C-section," the Saudi women identified as Saraah told Arab News. "It has become more of a business rather than about medical decisions."
