C-sections 'could be cut by 25%'

BBC NEWS | Health: "Up to a quarter of Caesarean sections could be avoided if women having difficult labours were treated differently, researchers suggest. Liverpool University experts found women whose wombs were not contracting properly had tired muscles, signified by high levels of lactic acid. They warn treatments aimed at speeding up labour may exacerbate this problem.

Women who are having difficulty in labour are currently given a synthetic version of the hormone oxytocin to speed up contractions. But this often fails, leading to them needing a Caesarean. "