The World Health Organisation (WHO) has come up with some strict regulations for caesarean sections or C-section, saying such surgical procedure on pregnant women should only be carried when it is medically necessary.

The global health agency said that the surgical procedure should only be carried whenever it is medically important as unnecessary C-Section can put the health of both mothers and their babies at risk.

Caesarean procedures have came as a boon for those pregnant women who have obstructed labour or their young ones are in real distress and the normal delivery is either very risky or not possible.

According to the WHO health experts, the ideal rate for C-Sections has been between 10 percent and 15 percent of births since 1985. However, two recent studies have shown that there is no evidence that the rates of mortality have improved in countries where more than 10 percent of births come from such surgical procedures.

The National Institute of Healthcare and Clinical Excellence (Nice) said that a caesarean section multiplies the health risk and a just born baby end up in intensive care, while the mothers are forced to stay longer in hospital, have a cardiac arrest or a hysterectomy.

Despite the health risk, the Nice’s 2011 guidelines allow women to have a caesarean even if it is not for medical purpose.

According to the WHO, the complete effects of a caesarean section on women and their children are not yet clear.

“Across a population, the effects of caesarean section rates on maternal and newborn outcomes such as stillbirths or morbidities like birth asphyxia are still unknown. More research on the impact of caesarean sections on women’s psychological and social well being is still needed,” the WHO said.

Many developing countries allow the women and their babies to die as they don’t permit a caesarean section.

The health body says the decision about whether to send the woman under knife or not should be made on a case by case basis.