Summary
Revista Brasileira de Ginecologia e Obstetrícia. 2004;26(8):655--6662
DOI 10.1590/S0100-72032004000800010
OBJECTIVE: to characterize the features of pregnant women who had elective preterm delivery, and correlate clinical and obstetrical diagnosis with neonatal results. METHOD: A total of 100 pregnant women admitted in the Obstetric Clinic ward and their respective newborns has been evaluated. The inclusion criteria were: single pregnancy, confirmed gestational age by an early scan, absence of labor symptoms and the presence of a maternal or fetal condition leading to preterm delivery indication. The direct causes of elective preterm delivery were classified in groups, to relate them to the neonatal results, taking into account the gestational age. To assess the neonatal results, the following criteria were analyzed: acidosis; 1st and 5st minute Apgar score lower than 7; intracranial hemorrhage; neonatal death; sepsis and respiratory distress syndrome. Statistical analysis used to correlate the causes of delivery and the gestational age to the neonatal results was done by log-linear models. RESULTS: One patient was excluded from the study due to fetal malformation. The most common direct causes of delivery were prenatal fetal distress (49.5%), hypertensive syndromes (21.2%), intra uterine growth restriction (13.1%) and others (16.2%). Among the main neonatal complications there were asphyxia (33.3%), acidosis (30.4%), respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) (26.3%), sepsis (22.2%), intracranial hemorrhage (21.2%) and neonatal death (13.1%). The cause of delivery was associated with acidosis and RDS by log-linear models and the gestational age was associated with RDS, 1st minute Apgar <7, sepsis, intracranial hemorrhage and neonatal death. CONCLUSIONS: the cause of delivery influences the neonatal results. Nevertheless, the most severe complications are directly dependent on the gestational age of delivery. Therefore, the prenatal diagnosis should be rigorously evaluated by the obstetrician, so that the decision to interrupt the pregnancy could be taken at the suitable moment, thus avoiding neonatal complications.
Summary
Revista Brasileira de Ginecologia e Obstetrícia. 2004;26(1):9-13
DOI 10.1590/S0100-72032004000100002
PURPOSE: to compare maternal and neonatal outcomes between spontaneous vaginal and Simpson-Braun forceps deliveries in nulliparous women. METHOD: a retrospective study including two groups of nulliparous women, who had vaginal delivery under peridural anesthesia in the obstetric unit of the CAISM-UNICAMP: the forceps group included 119 women who had Simpson-Braun forceps delivery, and the normal group included 114 women who delivered spontaneously. Neonatal outcomes, such as Apgar score and the evolution in the first days of life, were studied. Data were compared in both groups and, for statistical analysis, c² test, Fisher exact, and Student t tests were used. The differences were considered significant when p<0.05. RESULTS: the indications for Simpson-Braun forceps delivery were maternal-fetal relief (90 cases) and abbreviation of the expulsive period (29 cases). In the forceps group there were 8 cases (6.7%) of vaginal injuries; a similar result was observed in the normal group. The number of hospitalization days for the parturient and the newborns was identical, 2.4 days. The newborns in the two groups had similar Apgar scores inferior to 7 at the first minute (7.5 vs 4.3%) and at the fifth minute (1.6 vs1.7%). The weight in the two groups had similar results (3,146 and 3,016 g). The first days of life did not differ between the groups. CONCLUSIONS: the use of Simpson-Braun forceps was safe, when compared to spontaneous vaginal delivery.