ABSTRACT
It may be because of the caesarean’s ever increasing familiarity, that its ease, convenience and safety tend to be taken for granted. In this chapter, I begin to focus on some of the implications of the caesarean operation for the woman and her baby. I organise these ideas chronologically in the order in which the effects may manifest themselves. Thus, it is appropriate to consider the more immediate and shorter-term implications first. Eventually emerging out of this analysis there will be one major concept; this is that it is possible, as well as benefits, for harm to ensue after this intervention or treatment. Thus, I argue that caesarean may constitute a form of iatrogenesis. A discussion of what is meant by iatrogenesis and whether and to what extent it is relevant in this context will conclude this chapter.
