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Updated: May 23, 2026
External Cephalic Version: Is it an Effective and Safe Procedure?
Published on: June 6, 2020
Does route of delivery affect maternal and perinatal outcome in women with eclampsia? A randomized controlled pilot
Subrata Lall Seal1, Debdutta Ghosh, Gourisankar Kamilya
1Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Bankura Sammilani Medical College, Bankura, West Bengal, India. sealsubrata@gmail.com
Objective:
The route of delivery in eclampsia is controversial. We hypothesized that adverse maternal and perinatal outcomes may not be improved by early cesarean delivery.
Study Design:
This was a randomized controlled exploratory trial carried out in a rural teaching institution. In all, 200 eclampsia cases, carrying ≥34 weeks, were allocated to either cesarean or vaginal delivery. Composite maternal and perinatal event rates (death and severe morbidity) were compared by intention-to-treat principle.
Results:
Groups were comparable at baseline with respect to age and key clinical parameters. Maternal event rate was similar: 10.89% in the cesarean arm vs 7.07% for vaginal delivery (relative risk, 1.54; 95% confidence interval, 0.62-3.81). Although the neonatal event rate was less in cesarean delivery-9.90% vs 19.19% (relative risk, 0.52; 95% confidence interval, 0.25-1.05)-the difference was not significant statistically.
Conclusion:
A policy of early cesarean delivery in eclampsia, carrying ≥34 weeks, is not associated with better outcomes.
