Neonatal and prospective follow-up study of infants delivered by vacuum extraction (VE).
Forty infants delivered by vacuum extraction have been studied in the neonatal period--neurological examination, neonatal CSF-examinations, skull X-ray examination, transillumination and sonoencephalography --and at 14 months of age--developmental and behavioural evaluation, neurological examination, skull X-ray examination, sonoencephalography and electroencephalography. Two infants died in the neonatal period but in both cases a life-threatening situation of the fetus required immediate delivery. CSF cytological signs of haemorrhage were observed in 42% of the 26 infants who had a successful lumbar tap, compared to 10% found in normal deliveries. The result of the neonatal neurological study did not differ from that in a control group. The result of the skull X-ray examination and sonoencephalography were also within normal limits. In the follow-up study behavioural problems were found in 25%, but otherwise very few abnormalities were found. The deviatiosn found do not for the present indicate any later signs of brain lesions. It is concluded that this prospective study has shown that VE-delivery in fullterm babies seem to imply no risk fo serious cerebral sequelae. Further follow-up studies at a later age in order to evaluate the incidence of so-called minimal brain damage in VE-delivered children are required.
D000328:Adult; D002555:Cerebrospinal Fluid / Q000166:cytology; D002652:Child Behavior; D002657:Child Development; D004453:Echoencephalography; D004569:Electroencephalography; D005113:Extraction, Obstetrical; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007773:Lactates / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D009460:Neurologic Examination; D009772:Obstetrical Forceps; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011773:Pyruvates / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D012886:Skull / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D014620:Vacuum Extraction, Obstetrical
D007773:Lactates; D011773:Pyruvates