Airedale Hospital has one of the highest Caesarean birth rates in the north, according to a report just published.

The latest report by the Dr Foster good birth guide published in The Times says the Steeton hospital has the third highest number of Caesarean births in the north of England.

The figures, which have been adjusted to allow for different maternal ages at delivery and different social backgrounds, show an increase from 22 per cent last year to 26 per cent this year.

However, staff at Airedale say their actual recorded increase from 22 per cent to 24 per cent places the hospital in the middle of the table, next to the likes of St James's Hospital in Leeds.

Liz Calvert, General Manager of Women and Children and Head of Midwifery at Airedale, says the slight increase can in many cases be attributed to women who had a Caesarean birth the first time having a second child.

She says: "When a woman has a Caesarean, for instance in cases of foetal distress, the next time she becomes pregnant that has got to be taken into account.

"Some women may be able to have a normal delivery the second time, but some women who had a section the first time may need another. There is an increased demand for Caesarean births nationally, and patient choice is a factor.

"New guidelines from the National Institute of Clinical Excellence (NICE) about induction of labour show that if you have had a previous Caesarean and need to be induced in labour there are only a certain amount of drugs the patient can have."

Mrs Calvert says that research in North America on breach births which advocates Caesarean section means that in most cases it is now the delivery of choice for breach births.

"Any midwife will tell you that natural child birth for normal, low risk women is fine. Intervention is necessary for women of a higher risk, or where problems are identified that will pose a risk to the health of the mum," she adds.

Mrs Calvert says that the next step for Airedale and other hospital trusts nationally is to agree what the rates of Caesarean births should be.