NewsHealthPregnancyFewer than half of babies in England are now born by vaginal birth where medics do not use instruments following a series of NHS maternity scandals12:21, 05 Jun 2026Updated 12:23, 05 Jun 2026A quarter of all babies in England are now delivered by emergency caesarean after a sharp rise.‌Births by C-section, including those planned in advance, have increased in the last five years amid concerns it is driven by fear among pregnant women.‌A BBC probe found vaginal deliveries where medics don't use instruments such as forceps to help pull the baby out have now dropped below half, from 53% to 43%.‌The NHS does not publish data on why an emergency C-section is performed. For years NHS maternity units were told to keep rates of caesareans low. Those targets were dropped in 2022.Recent maternity safety scandals in Morecambe Bay, East Kent and Shrewsbury and Telford all heard similar, devastating stories of mothers and babies dying and a reluctance to do caesareans.‌Professor Shakila Thangaratinam, women's health expert at Liverpool University and a consultant obstetrician, told the BBC: "An increase in emergency caesarean sections poses concern if these are not accompanied by a corresponding decrease in stillbirths, newborn and maternal complications."We need to recognise the potential impact of rising fear among women, families and staff, which may lead more to choose or to recommend caesarean birth.”BBC Verify tracked the changes in births in England over five years and found the most common way to have a baby is still a vaginal delivery where medics don't use instruments. However that had fallen from 53% to 43% of births.‌Planned caesareans now make up 20% of births while there had been a steady increase in emergency caesareans from 18% to 26%. Elsewhere in the UK emergency caesarean rates were at 22% in Scotland, 20% in Wales and 16% in Northern Ireland.Prof Marian Knight, director of the National Perinatal Epidemiology Unit, said there has been a "total change in how women give birth" in England that it has not been replicated in other European countries.Researchers on her unit looked at caesarean birth rates in 42 countries. In 2020 England was 14th out of 42 countries for the rate of C-sections but by 2025, it was up to 9th. At the same time rates of stillbirths and neonatal deaths have not improved.Article continues belowOver the last five years, there has also been an 11% increase in the number of legal claims against the NHS for maternity problems.Prof Knight told the BBC: "Legal cases typically question why caesareans are not undertaken or not undertaken sooner. Doctors and midwives are rarely criticised for performing an early caesarean."NHS England said: "Decisions are made by considering individual circumstances and clinical advice to ensure the safest and most appropriate approach for each birth.”Choose Daily Mirror as a 'Preferred Source' on Google News for quick access to the news you value.‌NHSPregnancyGiving birthDoctors