A new report indicates the most common surgery in Canada is becoming even more common, in spite of a movement encouraging caesarean sections to be avoided when possible.

The Canadian Institute for Health Information released a report indicating 103,000 C-sections were performed 2016-2017 out of 366,000 births.

CIHI said in the same year, the proportion of in-hospital births was 28.2 per cent, up from 26.7 in 2007-2008, while the birth rate dropped to 102 per 10,000 people from 112 over the same time period.

A CIHI spokesperson said while the reason behind the rise in C-sections isn’t known for certain, factors such as birth mothers being older on average could be contributing.

C-sections are performed for a number of reasons, including when the mother or infant has risk factors for complications, when infants who are born pre-term or small for their gestational age, or by the mother’s preference.

The average length of hospital stay following a C-section is longer than for vaginal birth, at about three days compared to just under two, and the average cost more expensive, at $4,033 compared with $2,569.

Manitoba among the lowest C-section rates in Canada

The report noted there are wide variations in C-section rates across Canada, and in Manitoba and Saskatchewan the proportion sits well below than national average at approximately 23 per cent.

Only The Northwest Territories had a lower rate, at 19 per cent.

Medical director of the WRHA Women’s Health Program Dr. Mary-Jane Seager said Manitoba is unique in that the population here, and the birthrate, is increasing.

She agrees that the trend of mothers giving birth at an older age is contributing to high C-section rates, adding that older birth moms have higher rates of complications such as diabetes and high blood pressure,

While she couldn’t say why Manitoba’s C-section rate is lower than the Canadian average, she said one contributing factor could be that all of the province’s major hospitals are in Winnipeg.

"So we have a lot more discussion in the whole group, of who needs a caesarean and why. So I think there is a tighter group than in other places," she said.

The highest C-section rate in Canada is in British Columbia, at 35.3 per cent.

With files from CTV’s Michelle Gerwing and The Canadian Press.