title: Perinatal features and rate of cesarean section in newborns with non-syndromic sagittal synostosis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to evaluate perinatal features and the rate of cesarean section in children with non-syndromic sagittal synostosis and to compare these with the official statistics.
  
  
  METHODS
  The birth data of 36 consecutive children (25 boys) operated on using cranial vault remodeling because of primary sagittal synostosis were analyzed retrospectively from hospital records. The children were born between 2007 and 2011, and the surgery was performed before the age of 1 year. The official statistics of all Finnish newborns from the year 2010 (n = 61 371) were used as a reference. Chi-square and Fisher's exact tests were used in statistical analyses.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The average gestational age of the newborns with sagittal synostosis was 39.8 weeks (reference 39.7 weeks). The average birth weight was 3565.8 g (3540 g) for boys and 3197.2 g (3427 g) for girls, and the average lengths at birth are 51 cm (50.4 cm) and 49.4 cm (49.6 cm), respectively. The average head circumference was 36 cm for both sexes (35.2 and 34.6 cm for reference boys and girls). The mean age of mothers was 30.5 years (30.1 years). The rate of cesarean section was significantly increased 30.5 % (reference 16.6 %), and the rate of suction cup delivery was increased 13.9 % (9 %). In addition, a prolonged or difficult delivery was reported in three childbirths.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Newborns with non-syndromic sagittal synostosis appear to be of average birth size and gestational age. The incidences of perinatal complications and cesarean sections were increased with problems occurring in more than half of the childbirths.
authors.affiliation: Cleft Palate and Craniofacial Center, Department of Plastic Surgery, Helsinki University Central Hospital, P.O.BOX 266, FI-00029 HUS, Helsinki, Finland. arja.heliovaara@mbnet.fi.
authors.forename: Arja
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Heliövaara
authors.affiliation: Cleft Palate and Craniofacial Center, Department of Plastic Surgery, Helsinki University Central Hospital, P.O.BOX 266, FI-00029 HUS, Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Vuola
authors.affiliation: Cleft Palate and Craniofacial Center, Department of Plastic Surgery, Helsinki University Central Hospital, P.O.BOX 266, FI-00029 HUS, Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hukki
authors.affiliation: Cleft Palate and Craniofacial Center, Department of Plastic Surgery, Helsinki University Central Hospital, P.O.BOX 266, FI-00029 HUS, Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Leikola
mesh_terms: D002585:Cesarean Section / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003398:Craniosynostoses / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000601:surgery*; D036861:Delivery, Obstetric / Q000009:adverse effects; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007226:Infant Mortality; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies
keywords: Birth size; Cesarean section; Gestational age; Sagittal synostosis