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Respiratory distress syndrome after elective caesarean section in near term infants: a 5-year cohort study

Anais Berthelot-Ricou1, Valérie Lacroze, Blandine Courbiere

  • 1Faculté de Médecine, Université de la Méditerranée-Assistance Publique Hôpitaux de Marseille, Pôle de Gynécologie-Obstétrique et Reproduction, Marseille, France. anaisbraubagne@gmail.com

The Journal of Maternal-Fetal & Neonatal Medicine : the Official Journal of the European Association of Perinatal Medicine, the Federation of Asia and Oceania Perinatal Societies, the International Society of Perinatal Obstetricians
|September 28, 2012
PubMed

Insights

Late preterm infants born via elective Cesarean section (CS) face a high risk of respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) and neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) admission. Risk significantly decreases with each week of increased gestational age in utero.

Area of Science:

  • Neonatal Medicine
  • Obstetrics
  • Public Health

Background:

  • Elective Cesarean section (CS) rates are rising globally.
  • Late preterm infants (34-37 weeks gestation) are increasingly born via CS.
  • These infants may be at higher risk for adverse respiratory outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine the incidence of respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) in late preterm and early term infants born via elective CS.
  • To compare RDS and neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) admission rates between these groups.
  • To analyze the impact of gestational age on RDS risk in this population.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective cohort study of 188 infants born via elective CS between 2005-2009.
  • Infants categorized into late preterm (34-36 weeks) and early term (37 weeks) groups.
  • Exclusion criteria included pre-term rupture of membranes and congenital malformations.

Main Results:

  • Overall RDS incidence was 44% in late preterm infants versus 15.9% in early term infants (p < 0.01).
  • Severe RDS (requiring NICU admission) occurred in 13.6% of late preterm infants compared to 3.2% of early term infants (p < 0.01).
  • RDS and NICU admission risk decreased significantly with increasing gestational age, particularly after 36 weeks.

Conclusions:

  • Late preterm infants born via elective CS exhibit a substantially higher risk of RDS and NICU admission.
  • Gestational age is a critical factor, with each additional week in utero reducing risk.
  • Preventative strategies are needed given the rising CS rates in this vulnerable population.
Abstract

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