Mode of delivery and outcome of 699 term singleton breech deliveries at a single center.
OBJECTIVE
Elective cesarean delivery has been postulated to improve the outcome of term fetuses in breech presentation. We retrospectively compared the short- and long-term outcomes of term infants who were delivered from a breech presentation at a single center.


METHODS
We reviewed 699 consecutive term breech presentations according to the intended mode of delivery at a single center between January 1993 and December 1999. The short-term outcome measures were perinatal death, neonatal death, or serious neonatal morbidity; the long-term outcome measures were developmental delay and spasticity.


RESULTS
The rate of serious perinatal morbidity in the trial-of-labor and cesarean delivery groups was 2.3% and 0.5%, respectively (P =.12). There was no perinatal or neonatal death in either group. With a median follow-up period of 57 months (range, 13-100 months), the rate of developmental delay was 1.9% and 0.5%, respectively (P =.29). Spasticity was not noted in any of the children.


CONCLUSIONS
Our data suggest that planned vaginal delivery remains an option for selected term breech presentations.
Giuliani
Albrecht
A
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Graz, Austria. giuliani@uni-graz.at
Schöll
Wolfgang M J
WM
Basver
Asli
A
Tamussino
Karl F
KF
D000328:Adult; D001034:Apgar Score; D001946:Breech Presentation; D002585:Cesarean Section; D036861:Delivery, Obstetric / Q000379:methods*; D002658:Developmental Disabilities / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D007226:Infant Mortality; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D009017:Morbidity; D009128:Muscle Spasticity / Q000453:epidemiology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014469:Umbilical Arteries