Relationship between the mode of delivery, morbidity and mortality in preterm infants

The aim of the study, to evaluate the relationship between mode of delivery and preterm morbidities and mortality, who born ≤34 weeks of gestation within 1 year.

Babies were divided into two groups as who were born by cesarean section (CS) and vaginal delivery (VD) between March 2019 and March 2020. Infants born at ≤28 weeks were also analyzed.

The rate of CS delivery was 76% (378) in the whole group and 73% (115) in the babies of ≤28 gestational weeks. The most common maternal factor causing CS was preeclampsia (25%). The antenatal corticosteroid (ACS) application rate was 30% (152) in the whole group and 30% (45) in infants of ≤28 weeks. Rate of babies with an Apgar score of <5 at 5th min, asphyxia, multiple organ failure, development of severe respiratory distress syndrome, severe intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) and mortality were significantly increased in infants born VD (for all p < 0.05). Mortality was significantly higher when gestational age was ≤28 weeks, birth weight was ≤1500 g and ACS was not administered (p < 0.001 for all).

Mortality, severe IVH, neonatal asphyxia and multiple organ failure were found to be higher in those who were born by VD. These findings suggest that these results were due to inadequate prenatal care and follow-up and lack of ACS.