The effect of mode of delivery on the perinatal outcome in fetuses with abdominal wall defects.
A descriptive study of 125 infants with abdominal wall defects was undertaken to determine the effect of mode of delivery on outcome. Fifty-six infants had gastroschisis and 69 had omphalocele. Overall, there were no differences between the omphalocele and the gastroschisis groups in either cesarean section rate (22% vs 26%) or prematurity rate (26% vs 30%). However, the omphalocele group had a significantly higher infant death rate (22% vs 7%, p less than 0.001), a significantly higher incidence of associated major congenital anomalies (29% vs 5%, p less than 0.001), and a higher incidence of long-term infant morbidity (14.5% vs 8.9%). Within either group there was no significant difference between vaginal and cesarean delivery regarding either infant mortality, acute or long-term infant outcome, or frequency of associated major anomalies. We conclude that vaginal delivery of infants with abdominal wall defects does not adversely affect infant outcome.
Moretti
M
M
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Tennessee, Memphis.
Khoury
A
A
Rodriquez
J
J
Lobe
T
T
Shaver
D
D
Sibai
B
B
D000009:Abdominal Muscles / Q000002:abnormalities*; D002585:Cesarean Section; D036861:Delivery, Obstetric; D005260:Female; D006554:Hernia, Umbilical / Q000401:mortality*; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007235:Infant, Premature, Diseases / Q000401:mortality*; D009017:Morbidity; D011247:Pregnancy; D011296:Prenatal Diagnosis; D018805:Sepsis / Q000209:etiology