Vaginal breech delivery or cesarean section.
In 579 singleton breech deliveries the total perinatal mortality rate was 10.4% and the corrected perinatal mortality rate was 0.67%. There were 452 babies delivered vaginally (78.1%) and 127 delivered by cesarean section (21.9%). The perinatal mortality rate was very high in the premature breech delivery and in the low-birth-weight infant. Cesarean section should be used to avoid a traumatic vaginal delivery and it should be used more liberally in the mature breech, but it is unlikely that cesarean section rates in excess of 50% will significantly reduce the perinatal mortality mortality rate. More information is required as to whether extending the indications for cesarean section in the low-birth-weight infant will further reduce the perinatal mortality rate.
D000328:Adult; D001946:Breech Presentation; D002585:Cesarean Section; D036861:Delivery, Obstetric; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007226:Infant Mortality; D007230:Infant, Low Birth Weight; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D007746:Labor Presentation; D011247:Pregnancy