Use of caesarean sections growing at 'alarming' rate

In some countries more than half of births now involve the procedure, experts say

The use of caesarean sections to deliver babies has reached epidemic proportions, say experts, with the procedure growing in use at an "alarming" rate.

While caesarean sections can be a crucial intervention for the safety of the mother and child, for example if the baby is showing distress or if the mother is bleeding before birth, experts say the procedure would account for about 10-15% of births if only used when medically necessary.