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Am J Perinatol 1984; 1(2): 145-147
DOI: 10.1055/s-2007-999990
ORIGINAL ARTICLE

© 1984 by Thieme Medical Publishers, Inc.

The Premature Breech Presentation:

Outcome of Newborn Infants Born by Vaginal or Abdominal Delivery[1] Bruno Granati1 , Mario Rondinelli2 , Claudio Capoti1 , Virgilio Carnielli1 , Michele Bottos1 , Firmino F. Rubaltelli1
  • 1Department of Pediatrics, University Hospital, Padova, Italy
  • 2Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Hospital, Padova, Italy
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Publication History

Publication Date:
04 March 2008 (online)

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ABSTRACT

There is ample documentation that breech full-term infants delivered vaginally have a higher perinaial morbidity and mortality rate than breech infants born via cesarean section. Until now, little emphasis has been placed on the risks to premature newborns born in breech presentation. Therefore, the authors have considered all singleton pregnancies with infants in breech presentation admitted to the Department of Obstetrics, University of Padova, from January 1978 to December 1979 and delivered before 36-weeks gestation.

On the basis of obstetric management, the authors have obtained two groups: Group A comprised 36 infants born by vaginal delivery; Group B totaled 32 newborns delivered by cesarean section. Mean gestational age and birthweight were comparable. Of the neonatal events considered, the following were significantly different: Apgar score at 5 minutes <7 (A = 30.6%; B = 9.3%), mortality (A = 13.8%; B = 0), neurologic sequelae in the infants discharged from the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) (A = 50%; B = 9.1%) and the sum of mortality and long term sequelae (A = 22.2%; B = 3.1%).

The authors conclude that cesarean section performed in mothers with impending preterm breech delivery decreases the neonatal mortality rate and improves the long-term outcome.

1 Presented in part at the VIII European Conference of Pernatal Medicine, Bruxelles, Belgium, Sept. 1982

1 Presented in part at the VIII European Conference of Pernatal Medicine, Bruxelles, Belgium, Sept. 1982

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