In a study of more than 5,000 children, Australian researchers found that cesarean section delivery was not linked with a higher risk of health problems duriing childhood. This study states that some of the previously reported associations between birth by cesarean delivery and adverse childhood health outcomes may be explained by influences other than mode of birth," said Elizabeth Westrupp, lead researcher and a research fellow in the School of Nursing at La Trobe University in Melbourne.

The researchers concluded that the delivery method was associated with a mix of positive and negative effects through early childhood, and some were consistent. For example, the association between cesarean delivery and childhood obesity may actually be explained by the mother's obesity and not how the mother delivered her baby, Westrupp said. "These findings should be reassuring to women and their doctors," she added. According to the report was published in the journal Pediatrics.

Westrupp and her colleagues told Health.com that they gathered and used data on more than 5,100 kids born in Australia in 2003 and 2004. The children were followed to the age of 7 years old. Researchers looked at the overall health conditions of these children such as asthma and body weight. They also looked at medications children were taking, if they had any disabilities or medical problems. Social and economic circumstances were also included. They then adjusted their findings to take into consideration the mother's social environment and weight, and whether the child was breast-fed or not.

At first, Westrupp's team of researchers found that children born by C-section were more likely to have a medical condition at age 2 or 3, use prescribed medications at age 6 or 7, and to weigh more at age 8 or 9. However, after careful study, they discovered that cesarean delivery was linked with better overall health at age 2 or 3 and better social skills at age 6 or 7, the researchers reported.