title: How safe is preterm operative vaginal delivery and which is the instrument of choice?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The objective of this study was to determine neonatal outcomes in preterm operative vaginal delivery given the current paucity of data available to guide clinicians.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective review of 64 cases was conducted, and neonatal outcomes were compared to spontaneous vaginal deliveries in similar gestations. The primary outcomes studied were death and occurrence of intraventricular haemorrhage. Secondary outcomes included admission to NICU, Apgar < 3 at 5 min, ventilation requirement, jaundice requiring treatment, culture-proven sepsis and necrotising enterocolitis. The study was conducted in a stand-alone maternity unit of approximately 9000 deliveries per year.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We concluded that although vacuum delivery is avoided in preterm infants, outcomes were similar to forceps deliveries of similar gestations.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Rotunda Hospital, Parnell Square, Dublin 1, Ireland. siobhan.corcoran@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Siobhan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Corcoran
authors.forename: Niamh
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Daly
authors.forename: Maeve
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Eogan
authors.forename: Mary
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Holohan
authors.forename: Tom
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Clarke
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Geary
mesh_terms: D001720:Birth Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D002543:Cerebral Hemorrhage / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D036861:Delivery, Obstetric / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D009772:Obstetrical Forceps / Q000009:adverse effects; D061214:Patient Safety; D054238:Perinatal Mortality; D011247:Pregnancy; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome / Q000453:epidemiology; D047928:Premature Birth; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014620:Vacuum Extraction, Obstetrical / Q000009:adverse effects