Beijing is looking to end the reliance of local moms-to-be on caesarean births and hopes to persuade more to return to traditional childbirth.

The change of emphasis is detailed in the 12th Five-Year Plan (2011-2015).

It is the first time such a move has been made in the capital, according to the Beijing Women's Federation.

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Officials from the federation said most pregnant women have limited knowledge of the benefits and drawbacks of caesarean births but are still opting for caesareans in large numbers, largely because they think babies born that way will be smarter.

The federation says it hopes to work with local health departments to educate women and lower the rate of caesarean births, according to Beijing Youth Daily.

A survey conducted by METRO early last year found that caesarean births accounted for between 40 and 50 percent of babies born in Beijing, a rate that is almost three times the upper limit suggested by the World Health Organization.

Statistics, released by the Beijing Public Health Information Center, show that the caesarean birth rate is now 10 times what it was in the 1970s.

Jia Hongmei, director of obstetrics and gynecology at Haidian District Maternal and Child Care Service Hospital, said recent medical research shows children born by caesarean section are more likely to face health issues, such as hyperactivity and autism, than children born in the traditional way.

"And it is beneficial to babies to be born through the birth canal because the pushing and squeezing is good for babies' muscles and bones," she said.

She said babies also benefit from traveling through the birth canal because it helps them rid their bodies of fluids from the womb. It also exposes them to useful bacteria.

Jia said the high rate of caesarean births in the capital is partly due to the fear of pain among many young pregnant women.

Many of these women are sole children in their families and were born in the 1980s.

Yu Mei, director of the obstetrics department at Beijing Mary's Hospital, said some pregnant women also wrongly believe that natural childbirth will widen their hips and change their body shape.

"However, the original structure of the pelvis will not be changed," she said. "Women can recover their figures with post-birth physical exercise and through diet.

"Caesarean births should only be available as a supplementary means. If a woman is able to give birth naturally, she should bravely choose to give birth to her baby naturally."

Yu said some women also wrongly believe that natural childbirth will harm their sex lives.

"Pregnant women will find that the muscles at the bottom of their pelvis become loose, and this is the main thing that affects sex," she said, adding that such loose muscles can be tightened during post-birth care.

Han Zhu, a woman who is two months into her pregnancy, said she would like to opt for natural childbirth.

"I will try to endure the pain of natural childbirth."