Birth by caesarean section or vaginal birth. Which is safest for the child?

作者：Poets C F^*; Abele H

来源：Monatsschrift Kinderheilkunde, 2012, 160(12): 1196-1203.

DOI：10.1007/s00112-012-2727-0

• Neonatal respiratory distress syndrome
• Asthma, bronchial
• Uterine rupture
• Hysterectomy
• Obstetric labor complications

When considering the best mode of delivery for a term baby, maternal and neonatal aspects have to be considered. Regarding the latter, the risk of developing respiratory distress syndrome in term infants delivered via caesarean section is 0.2-0.7 %, i.e. 6-7 times higher than after a vaginal birth. Neonatal death after caesarean section occurs in up to 0.4 % of cases which is twice that after vaginal birth. For subsequent pregnancies following a caesarean section, the risk of placenta praevia, uterine rupture or hysterectomy is increased 3.5-12 times, at least following the onset of labor. Fetal demise is also more common following a previous caesarean section. Breastfeeding following caesarean section is discontinued 3 times more often by 3 months of age than in mothers after vaginal delivery. Finally, associations between delivery via caesarean section and the subsequent development of asthma in the offspring have been reported, amounting to a 20 % increase in the general population, a doubling of the risk in former preterm infants and 3 times the risk if both parents have an atopic predisposition. Pregnant women should be informed about these risks to make an informed decision about the best mode of delivery for themselves and their baby.

• 出版日期2012-12