Nulliparous patients with small stature delivering at term have an increased risk of secondary cesarean section.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the obstetric outcome of pregnant patients with small stature (<5th percentile) with regard to the mode of delivery, maternal injuries, and neonatal parameters.


METHODS
Retrospective cohort analysis of 13 years of deliveries. Two groups: group A, patients with a height below the 5th percentile, and group B, patients with a body height between the 25th and 75th percentile.


RESULTS
Patients with a body height between the 25th and 75th percentiles showed significantly more spontaneous vaginal deliveries. Secondary cesarean sections (CS) were significantly seen more often in mothers with a small body height. The fetal outcome did not differ significantly between both groups (APGAR, arterial cord pH, base excess).


CONCLUSIONS
Patients with body height below the 5th percentile were found to have a significantly higher rate of secondary CS. As less than half of our patients with a body height below the 5th percentile were found to have delivered spontaneously at term, pregnancies in small patients should be recognized by obstetricians to be at a specific risk. Whereas the neonatal outcome appears to be comparable between nulliparous women with a body height below the 5th percentile and those with a body height between the 25th and 75th percentiles, small mothers carry a significantly elevated risk of surgical delivery, which should be addressed in prospective studies and in counseling these patients.
Bohlmann
Michael K
MK
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Hospital of Schleswig-Holstein, Campus Luebeck, Ratzeburger Allee 160, Luebeck, Germany.
Luedders
Doerte W
DW
Beyer
Daniel
D
Kavallaris
Andreas
A
Baumann
Kristin
K
Diedrich
Klaus
K
Hornemann
Amadeus
A
D000328:Adult; D001827:Body Height; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002585:Cesarean Section / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006785:Hospitals, University / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D010298:Parity; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D055815:Young Adult