Respiratory Morbidity in Neonates at or Near-Term in Relation to Mode of Delivery - A Retrospective Observational Study

Introduction: Antenatal corticosteroids are recommended by Royal College of Obstetrics and Gynaecology for caesarean section planned before thirty-eight plus six weeks gestation. However, these steroids are, not suggested for labour induced electively after thirty four weeks.

Objective: This study’s aim is to enumerate the possibility of respiratory morbidity in neonates for various deliberated approaches of delivery between thirty-five and thirty eight weeks gestation.

Methodology: This study was carried out during June 2018 and December 2020 at a tertiary obstetric unit and analysed 3796 neonates delivered between thirty-five and thirty eight weeks gestation for neonatal admission due to respiratory morbidity.

Results: The risk for respiratory problems in spontaneous labour was 9.9% (16/161), 5.0% (12/238), 1.2% (5/426) and 0.64% (6/930) at thirty five, thirty six, thirty seven and thirty eight weeks of gestation respectively. For induced labour, it was 25% (4/16), 4.8% (5/104), 4.1% (13/318) and 0.82% (4/485) at thirty-five, thirty six, thirty seven and thirty eight weeks respectively. While the risk of respiratory morbidity in elective caesarean section, was 13.8% (4/29), 27.1% (13/48), 4.1% (5/122) and 2.8% (9/318) at thirty-five, thirty six, thirty seven and thirty eight weeks respectively. Overall chance of respiratory morbidity in neonates was 6% after elective caesarean section, 2.8% after labour induction and 2.2% after spontaneous labour (p< 0.0001). The number of neonates with respiratory problems born by elective C-section was only 31 out of total 132 (23.5%). Whereas this risk was 2.8% at 35-38 weeks and 5.0% at 35-37 weeks after induced labour.

Conclusion: Elective delivery at 35-38 weeks is linked to respiratory morbidity in new born babies. More research is required to assess the role of prophylactic corticosteroids preceding elective induction of labour.