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Near Tet, some hospitals in Hanoi recorded many families asking for pregnant women to have a cesarean section so that their child would be born in the year of the Dragon instead of the year of the Snake, even though the due date had not yet come.
Ms. Huyen, 34 years old, in Hoai Duc, is pregnant for the second time, about 34 weeks and 5 days. After examination, Dr. Dong Thu Trang, Hanoi Obstetrics Hospital, said that all indicators are at safe levels, the fetus weighs about 2.4 kg, "can rest assured to celebrate Tet".
However, her family kept begging for a proactive surgery this weekend, around the 25th or 27th of the Lunar New Year, to avoid the "end of the year, end of the month" and to be at the right age. They believe that having a daughter born in the year of the Dragon will bring good luck, while a daughter born in the year of the Snake will make life difficult, have to "dodge and weave", and have difficulty getting married.
Doctor Trang firmly disagreed, warning that forcing a cesarean section before the full term could lead to respiratory failure or endanger the lives of both mother and child.
In another case, Ms. Lan, 28 years old, fell into crisis when faced with a conflict between her mother-in-law and her biological mother. Her mother-in-law wanted to have a cesarean section after 10 am, while her biological mother "insisted on giving birth before that time and before the 30th of Tet in the year of Giap Thin". The young mother asked the doctor for help when her mother-in-law harshly pressured her to give birth according to her wishes.
"It's heartbreaking to see pregnant women cry silently because of the pressure," Dr. Trang shared on January 21.
The situation of proactively requesting a cesarean section even though the due date has not yet arrived also occurs at the Post Office Hospital, Central Maternity Hospital...
The psychology of choosing a good day and time to give birth comes from feng shui concepts and traditional taboos. Many families believe that the Year of the Dragon brings prosperity and success, while the Year of the Snake is "as unlucky as a poisonous snake".
Giving birth at the beginning of the year is also considered to "take away all the blessings" and is not good for the family. Many people avoid having a "girl giving birth" in the house at the beginning of the year or avoid visiting a woman giving birth.
Dr. Le Thi Thuy Hang, Central Psychiatric Hospital I, said that this is a superstitious concept with no scientific basis. She emphasized that a child's success or destiny depends on many factors such as education, environment, health, not just on the year or time of birth.
"Because of ignorance, many families push their children to the brink of death, even taking their lives just because they are born early," the expert said. The rush and "force" to have children also leaves many consequences in terms of economy, education, and health. This causes the cesarean section rate to skyrocket, posing many potential risks to mother and baby.
The consequences of early cesarean section not only threaten the lives of mother and baby but also contribute to increasing the cesarean section rate in Vietnam from 12% (2005) to 37% (2022), much higher than WHO's recommendation (10-15%).
Dangerous complications that can occur to the mother include hemorrhage, anesthesia complications, cardiac arrest, and acute renal failure. For the baby, there is a high risk of respiratory diseases, asthma, and obesity...
A typical case is the case of a 32-year-old pregnant woman whose water broke on the afternoon of the 29th of Tet, but her family did not take her to the hospital because they were afraid of "bad luck". When admitted to the emergency room, both mother and child were in critical condition due to severe infection.
Another 29-year-old pregnant woman almost died because she refused to have a cesarean section on the first day of the month despite having severe preeclampsia. Fortunately, doctors were able to convince her in time and she escaped the dangerous situation.
To minimize the above situation, Dr. Nguyen Thi Nha, Director of the Reproductive Support Center, Post Office Hospital, recommends that families should listen to advice from medical experts instead of imposing superstitious beliefs on pregnant women.
"Don't let unreasonable things harm the health of mother and child," Ms. Nha emphasized.
It is important to educate the public about the benefits of natural birth and the risks of unnecessary caesarean sections. Pregnant women should choose a reputable hospital to receive proper care and avoid the stress associated with choosing a birth date.
For doctors, it is necessary to firmly not accept requests for cesarean section before the 39th week of pregnancy unless there is a medical reason. When the pregnancy is full term, the doctor can discuss with the family to fulfill the wishes within the safe range.
TB (according to VnExpress)