Term infants born by elective cesarean delivery before 40 weeks’ gestation had significantly increased risk for respiratory morbidity.
Rates of elective cesarean delivery without clear medical indication have increased dramatically worldwide; however, this practice can increase the risk for neonatal respiratory morbidity. In a prospective cohort study of 34,458 live singleton deliveries from 1998 through 2006 in a Danish hospital, the respiratory status of 2687 infants born by elective cesarean delivery was compared with that of infants born by intended vaginal delivery.
The overall frequency of respiratory morbidity (defined as any respiratory distress, transient tachypnea of the newborn, or persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn) was 1.8%, with 0.2% of neonates experiencing serious respiratory morbidity. Risk for respiratory morbidity increased with younger gest…