According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, infection is one of the common complications that occur due to Cesarean section deliveries, in an estimated 10 to 40% cases. This risk is less than 3% for natural deliveries and there is now an attempt to redress this imbalance.
Whereas antibiotics are usually given to the mother soon after the delivery, it is now advised by a new obstetric guideline in US that the antibiotics be administered before the C section surgery.
The administration of the antibiotics is usually done after the delivery in order that any brewing infection in the newborn baby could be spotted and not masked by the antibiotics administered to the mother, which may pass over into the baby’s blood stream.
However, now it is understood that antibiotics can be administered to the mother about an hour before the C section, quite safely, without any risk to the baby.
According to this new guideline issued by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists elective C sections should have the antibiotics one hour before surgery, emergency C sections should have the antibiotics as soon as possible. Women who are already on antibiotics for some other reason are exempt.
