Do dogs or other animals have easier deliveries than women?

Question

I know that a human life is worth more than than of animal.

But as we know, animals are almost never assisted when they give birth (and they don't seem to have many problems, while that happens).

Does that mean that human childbirths are riskier?

Answer 1

Yes, women have it worse than other animals. There are two problems. The mother's pelvis is smaller relative to other primates to permit bipedalism (walking on two feet). The baby's head is larger because humans have evolved to have the larger heads necessary for larger brains and intelligence. The result is that the head is too big, the birth canal too small.

In case this isn't clear, here's the Wikipedia summary:

"Compared with that of other species, human childbirth is dangerous. Painful labors lasting twenty-four hours or more are not uncommon, and may result in injury, or even death, to the child and/or mother. This is because of both the relatively large fetal head circumference (for housing the brain) and the mother's relatively narrow pelvis (a trait required for successful bipedalism, by way of natural selection)."

Answer 2

While giving birth isn't easy for any animal, it is generally easier for animals that aren't bipedal. Because animals walk on four legs, their pelvises are tilted differently and that tilt changes the size of the birth canal, making it somewhat easier than humans. Also, human babies have really large heads compared to body size and that adds more difficulty to the process. That's not to say that birth is a walk in the park for any animal, it's just that humans being bipedal and having large heads makes it more difficult.

Answer 3

Apart from cases of inverted position of the foetus, or oversize vis--vis the mother or such other specific complications human childbirth is the most natural event. It is on account of our arificial life styles that we creat e complication till at last now-a-days there is hardly any normal delivery All are Caesarean operations. I have seen a stone-crusher woman going into pains,delivering the child, washing it in a nearby stream,feeding it and putting it to sleep and then resuming her hard work.

Answer 4

I guess if you have 4 puppies they would be smaller to deliver than having 1 human baby, some women have it pretty easy, others have hard time.

does this mean humans are more valuable?
Hardly.

Your facts are in error when you said animals are almost never assisted, have you never heard of farmers hooking up their tractors to pull out calves?
have you never heard of vets giving cesearnian sections to small dogs?

but above all Who told you human life is worth more than that of any other animal is totally ignorant and entirely incorrect.

Try living without chickens? or Fish, or Cows, it simply cannot be done (somebody allready mentioned we cannot live without bees), even if you are a vegetarian you depend on other animals to pollinate

Answer 5

Animals are directed by nature to position themselves to allow gravity to aid in birth. Not withstanding, many need assistance and in the wild without assistance will die from complications. Consider the women in third world countries who position themselves to aid the birthing process...many with no assistance or drugs. Modern women are given drugs which dull the pain and slow the natural process... they are also required to remain in a supine position which goes against instinct. I disagree that animals do not express pain while giving birth... I have had livestock for many years and the bellows of pain during the birhing season is very common.

I think human childbirth appears more risky because we go against our own instincts by forcing the women to lie down and using many drugs that affect the bodies ability to deliver normally

Answer 6

I don't have the facts or figures, but I'd say it is probably riskier and almost definitely more painful for humans than dogs. Every dog I've seen give birth looked uncomfortable, but wasn't howling in pain, or even wearing a particularly pained expression on her face. If I had to compare what the dogs' expressions looked like to a human with an ailment, it looked more like constipation than childbirth.

Answer 7

i read from a mag that only humans can experience pain during child delivery.

some animals needs assistance also during delivery but most aren't given because we will never know if an animal needs it because they can't tell us that they need it.

I mean, if you're not an animal expert, you wouldn't know if an animal needs assistance.

so regarding your question, all i can say is that: animals have easier delivery than humans and human childbirth is riskier.

Answer 8

before I answer it.. how is human life worth more than the life of another animal?? (humans are animals too after all)

you obviously dont know much about animals...
beef cattle are often assisted..
it is not uncommon for Chihuahuas to need cesearian sections..
sheep often require help...
miniture ponies for sure!!!

in the wild YES animals do die delivering their young..

birds and lizards can become "egg bound" which leads to their death..

humans dont need assistance any more than any of the other animals do... many women in other parts of the world deliver on their own at home - without hospital intervention.. many women want more natural births.. doctors even say that we are often giving too much intervention in child birth..


if you think humans are worth more than other animals I should remind you that humans are the one animal the planet could easily survive WITHOUT..

if we lost BEES for example - many other forms of life would not exist after 3-5 years.. bees are the major pollinators of some plants (like apples) which humans and other animals depend on..

Answer 9

Giving birth is not easier in any case.

Answer 10

Not necessarily. Just that our intellect makes us perceive risks and dangers in much more subtle terms