Caesarean section for the dead baby--an unhappy reality

Caesarean section for the dead baby is sometimes still needed to prevent maternal complications. The objective of the study is to critically analyse the characteristics of the mother and indications for the operation in women who delivered stillbirths following caesarean section. The study period covered a 2 years span from January, 2003 to December, 2004. During this time 121 mothers (study group) underwent caesarean section for the dead baby representing 1.41% of all caesarean section operations done in the hospital. The study group was compared to the overall caesaren section done during the two years in relation to parity (parous 77.7% versus 45.7%), type of caesarean section (emergency 83.5% versus 69.8%) and timing of caesarean section within 12 hours of admission (74.4% versus 50.2%). Common indications in the study group included antepartum haemorrhage (31.4%), malpresentation (19.0%), postcaesarean pregnancies (16.5%), obstructed labour (15.7%), foetal distress (9.9%), second twin (4.1%) and eclampsia (3.3%). In some indications like obstructed labour and malpresentation, abdominal deliveries could be reduced by more destructive operations. The maternal reasons for resorting to caesarean section to save maternal lives are understandable. But caesaren section done for foetal distress was a disturbing revealation.