Breech babies have a ten-fold risk of death from vaginal delivery compared to C-section, a new study finds.
Many previous studies have highlighted a rise in C-section deliveries in the last decade. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention(CDC), the overall cesarean rate climbed nearly 60 percent from 1996 to 2009. In 2012 alone, 33 percent of all deliveries were C-sections.
While many such studies have also stated the negative attributes of such deliveries, a new study found that it may be the most appropriate delivery method when it comes to breech births. The study authors noted that breech babies have a ten-fold increase in death risk from vaginal delivery compared to C-section.
"As an obstetrician, ensuring the health and safety of the mother and infant during child birth is of the utmost importance," said lead study author Dr. Floortje Vlemmix from the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam in the Netherlands, in a press statement. "Our study focuses on understanding if the increase in cesareans following the term breech study had any impact on neonatal outcomes."
The findings of this study are very important because even today 40 percent of breech births are planned vaginal deliveries, which increase the baby's risk of dying.
A breech baby is one whose buttocks or feet, instead of the head, are the first to push through the birth canal. A baby who's positioned buttocks down is called a frank breech; a baby who puts one or both feet forward is called a footling breech. According to statistics, fewer than five percent of babies born in the United States are breech babies.
There can be a few complications for breech infants that are delivered vaginally. When breech babies are delivered vaginally, they are more likely to be injured during or after delivery than babies who are delivered head first. Breech babies who are delivered vaginally are also more likely to develop a birth defect where the baby's hip socket and the thighbone become separated. Complications with the umbilical cord are also more likely in breech babies delivered vaginally.
"While elective C-section has improved neonatal outcomes there is still a good number of women who attempt vaginal birth," said Dr. Vlemmix. "Our findings suggest there is still room for improvement to prevent unnecessary risk to the infant. We recommend using measures to turn the baby (external cephalic version) to prevent breech presentation at birth and counselling women who want to proceed with a vaginal breech birth."
It is not that there are no complications when a breech baby is delivered through C-section. Some of these complications include bleeding, infection and longer hospital stays for both the mother and her baby.
The current study will be published online in the journal Acta Obstetricia et Gynecologica Scandinavica.
