Outcome for the very low birth-weight (500-1,499g) singleton breech: benefit of caesarean section.
Between January 1, 1977 and March 31, 1982, 84 of 131 (64.1%) consecutive liveborn very low birth-weight (VLBW) singletons delivered after breech presentation were discharged home alive. Of babies delivered by Caesarean section 40 of 47 (85.1%) survived, versus 44 of 84 (52.4%) delivered vaginally (X2 = 12.6, p less than 0.0005). When differences in birthweight and antenatal steroid therapy were adjusted by multiple regression analysis, after excluding a lethally malformed baby who was diagnosed antenatally and babies who were not treated aggressively because they were thought to be too immature (n = 19), those delivered by Caesarean section were still more likely to survive (p = 0.038). In survivors completely assessed at 2 years of corrected age, there was a statistically significant association between Caesarean section and reduced handicap (p = 0.019). For the VLBW singleton breech, there is good evidence that delivery by Caesarean section is beneficial.
Doyle
L W
LW
Rickards
A L
AL
Ford
G W
GW
Pepperell
R J
RJ
Kitchen
W
W
D001034:Apgar Score; D001724:Birth Weight; D001946:Breech Presentation; D002585:Cesarean Section; D002675:Child, Preschool; D036861:Delivery, Obstetric; D002658:Developmental Disabilities / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007226:Infant Mortality; D007230:Infant, Low Birth Weight; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D011247:Pregnancy; D012044:Regression Analysis; D013997:Time Factors