[Early maternal and neonatal morbidity after spontaneous and surgically-assisted vaginal delivery]

To evaluate the differences in early maternal and neonatal morbidity after spontaneous delivery, forceps delivery and vacuum-extraction.

Retrospective clinical study.

Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Hospital, Palacký University, Olomouc.

The database of 8196 deliveries at our department in the time period from January 1995 till September 2000 revealed 183 of forceps deliveries and 217 of vacuum-extractions. The control group included 200 randomly selected parturients with spontaneous vaginal delivery. The early maternal morbidity was evaluated according to the following parameters: perineal tears of the IIIrd + IVth degree, duration of hospitalization, average blood loss, the need of analgetics, dehiscence of episiotomy requiring resuture, febrilies and administration of antibiotics. The early neonatal morbidity evaluation was based on the incidence of cephalhematomas, the incidence of hyperbilirubinaemia, duration of hospitalization, signs of fetal hypoxia (pH, Apgar score), gestational age, birthweight and the presence of intracranial and retinal bleeding. The statistical significance of the differences in the frequency of the above parameters was evaluated.

Spontaneous deliveries were associated with lower maternal morbidity according to the most of studied parameters. Vacuum-extraction had a lower frequency of maternal postpartum complications compared to forceps deliveries. Statistically valid differences were however found only at perineal tears of the IIIrd + IVth degree and at administration of analgetic and antibiotics. The use of vacuum-extraction seems to be connected with a higher risk of cephalhematomas (p = 0.0051) and longer duration of hospitalization.

From the point of view of early maternal morbidity the assisted vaginal delivery by vacuumextraction gives better results than by forceps. However vacuum-extraction increases the risk of cephalhematomas at newborn.