Munich  - Women should not casually decide whether to give birth by Caesarean section, said gynaecology professor Birgit Seelbach-Goebel, director of a women's clinic in Regensburg, Germany.

Many clinics' websites advertise Caesarean section on demand as a service. However, there are disadvantages to the procedure. Following a Caesarean section, the risk of serious complications is far greater for the mother than the risk involved in a vaginal delivery.

The procedure offers greater security only when a baby is in a breech position, said Seelbach-Goebel in a recent edition of a parenting magazine published in Munich.

Women are more likely to opt for a Caesarean section, said Germany's federal statistics bureau in Wiesbaden. In 2007, the percentage of Caesarean births in hospitals was 29.3 over 18.5 per cent in 1997. (dpa)