Neonate - newborn condition and prematurity with breech delivery

Abstract

Before birth, most of foetuses located in mother's uterus have head presentation down towards the breech exit. Preterm delivery presents the delivery before the end of the 37th gestational week. Etiology of preterm breech deliveries is the same as of the ones at term, such as uterine malformations and myomas, polyhydramnion, foetal abnormalities, high parity, short umbical cord, placenta previa. The complications include passing of the body through insufficiently dilated cervical channel and "capturing " of the head, umbilical cord prolapse, intrapartal hipoxy, discoordinated delivery, aspiration pneumonia, traumatic injuries. The basic aim of the research was to determine prematurity, mortality, colority of the amniotic fluid, and newborn condition with breech deliveries comparing to the head presentation deliveries. The study group consisted of 282 newborns that came from breech deliveries and the same number of the controls born with head presentation. In cases of breech deliveries there was greatly higher quantity of green and meconium amniotic fluid, significantly higher prematurity, significantly lower average Apgar score as well as seven times higher mortality of newborns comparing with the values in head presentation deliveries. Meconium amniotic fluid can result in greater risk than aspiration pneumonia which is the characteristics of breech deliveries. There are more causes endangering fetal vitalty after breech delivery and those are along with prematurity, greater number of congenital malformations, often traumas which depend on delivery course as well as hipoxy caused during delivery. Prematurity of fetus is one of risk factors resulting in breech delivery but it is also its main characteristics. Breech delivery brings greater risk measured by Apgar score values, appearance of meconium amniotic fluid, prematurity with its consequences and perinatal mortality.