Infant and Neonatal Mortality for Primary Cesarean and Vaginal Births to Women with “No Indicated Risk,” United States, 1998–2001 Birth Cohorts

ABSTRACT: Background: The percentage of United States’ births delivered by cesarean section has increased rapidly in recent years, even for women considered to be at low risk for a cesarean section. The purpose of this paper is to examine infant and neonatal mortality risks associated with primary cesarean section compared with vaginal delivery for singleton full‐term (37–41 weeks’ gestation) women with no indicated medical risks or complications. Methods: National linked birth and infant death data for the 1998–2001 birth cohorts (5,762,037 live births and 11,897 infant deaths) were analyzed to assess the risk of infant and neonatal mortality for women with no indicated risk by method of delivery and cause of death. Multivariable logistic regression was used to model neonatal survival probabilities as a function of delivery method, and sociodemographic and medical risk factors. Results: Neonatal mortality rates were higher among infants delivered by cesarean section (1.77 per 1,000 live births) than for those delivered vaginally (0.62). The magnitude of this difference was reduced only moderately on statistical adjustment for demographic and medical factors, and when deaths due to congenital malformations and events with Apgar scores less than 4 were excluded. The cesarean/vaginal mortality differential was widespread, and not confined to a few causes of death. Conclusions: Understanding the causes of these differentials is important, given the rapid growth in the number of primary cesareans without a reported medical indication. (BIRTH 33:3 September 2006)     

Ultrasonography in the detection of cervical incompetency

In 80 pregnancies with clinical and ultrasonic signs of cervical incompetency, the length of the cervix and the thickness of the anterior wall of a lower uterine segment have been evaluated ultrasonically. We have also measured the width of the endocervical canal and studied the prolapse of fetal membranes (with fetal parts) into the endocervical canal. We evaluated these same parameters in 80 healthy pregnancies. The length of the cervix, the thickness of the anterior wall of a lower uterine segment, and the width of the endocervical canal were followed longitudinally in the patients from the 10th to the 36th gestation week. No statistically significant differences between age groups were found. In four age groups at risk for cervical incompetency, cervical lengths and wall thickness were significantly different (p less than 0.001) from those in comparable controls. Forty-five percent of the patients in the at-risk group, with cervical cerclage, delivered at 37.3 (range: 32 to 41) weeks and 6.25% of pregnancies ended in abortion when the amniotic membrane herniated into the cervical canal, with or without some part of the fetus.     

不同分娩方式对早产儿影响的临床研究

目的：探讨妊娠小于34周早产分娩方式的选择。方法：妊娠小于34周早产患者126例分为剖宫产组67例和阴道分娩组59例，比较不同分娩方式对分娩结局的影响。结果：孕28—30＋6周时，阴道分娩组的新生儿死亡率明显高于剖宫产组（P〈0．05），其他两个孕周期间的两组新生儿死亡率比较无显著差异。阴道分娩组和剖宫产组的新生儿的死亡数随着出生体重的逐渐增加而不断减少，新生儿体重小于1500g时，两种分娩方式的死亡率之间比较存在显著性差异。结论：早产的主要原因是妊娠并发症，降低新生儿不良结局的根本措施还应延长孕龄，提高新生儿生存能力。     

胎盘早期剥离31例临床分析

目的：探讨胎盘早期剥离(早剥)的发病因素、临床表现及治疗。方法：回顾性分析31例胎盘早剥的临床资料、治疗及预后。结果：胎盘早剥的发生率为0．8％，机械性因素17例(54．8％)，妊娠高血压综合征引起的13例(41．9％)，以中重度为主。临床症状主要以腹痛、阴道流血为多见，分别为64．5％、54．8％，但有部分病例仅表现胎动消失或胎死子宫内，术前确诊较困难。临床类型轻重比例相近，病理类型以隐性和混合性多见，分别为45．2％、51．6％。分娩方式以剖宫产为主(83．9％)，围生儿死亡率54．8％。结论：胎盘早剥的发病因素以机械性因素和中重度妊娠高血压综合征为多见，临床表现以腹痛、阴道流血多见，围生儿病死率高，应做好孕期保健工作，积极推行孕期健康教育。     

甲状腺次全切除术的治疗分析及并发症的预防

目的:探讨甲状腺功能亢进次全切除术的治疗方法及并发症的预防。方法:回顾性分析120例因甲状腺功能亢进行甲状腺次全切除术的临床资料,探讨术后并发症的发生原因和预防措施。结果:患者全部治愈出院,无甲状腺危象、声音嘶哑等严重并发症发生。结论:严格做好术前准备,术中操作轻柔,彻底止血,囊内结扎甲状腺上、下极血管,并根据中毒症状、病程长短、年龄、腺体的大小决定保留腺体数量,有助于进一步减少并发症,提高治愈率。     

极低出生体重儿两种喂养效果观察

目的:探讨极低出生体重儿(VLBW)的早期微量持续鼻饲喂养(CNG)与间断鼻饲喂养(ING)的喂养耐受性及喂养效果.方法:将60例VLBW进行随机分组,CNG组起始奶量1-2ml/h,以后泵速增加1-2ml/h.ING组奶量以1-2ml/kg开始, 以后每天增加1-2ml/kg/次.所有VLBW均同时进行部分静脉营养,直至达到完全胃肠道喂养时间(FEF).对比两组喂养不耐受性、达到FEF、停止静脉补液时间及黄疸持续时间.结果:CNG组较ING组患儿发生腹胀、呕吐者明显减少(P＜0.05),黄疸持续时间、吸吮动作出现时间及住院时间较对照组明显缩短(P＜0.05),但两组体重增长情况统计学无差异(P＞0.05).结论:CNG更适合VLBW的早期微量喂养.     

全程责任制助产的临床意义

目的:了解为产妇提供产时"全程责任制助产"的个性化服务,对产妇妊娠结局的影响,以及对提高产科护理质量的意义.方法:将114例住院分娩的初产妇随机分为"全程组"与常规待产组(对照组),"全程组"是指在导乐的基础上实行一名助产士专门为一名产妇提供全过程(宫口开大2cm至产后2h)的服务和指导.结果:"全程组"与对照组的产程时间、分娩方式、产后出血率,均有显著性差异(P＜0.05).结论:"全程"责任制助产有利于提高产科质量,护理满意度调查平均达98%,值得推广应用.     

中医药治疗宫环出血临床疗效的Meta分析

目的:观察中医药治疗宫环出血的临床疗效。方法:应用Meta分析方法的随机效应模型,对国内1989~2006年采用中医药治疗宫环出血,并以西医治疗作对照的研究文献进行定量合并分析。结果:对中医治疗组与西医对照组临床有效率进行分析后表明,在临床疗效方面,中医治疗组427例患者中376例临床治疗有效,西医对照组347例患者中217例临床治疗有效。中医治疗组稳定率总优势比(OR)=4.65,95%置信区间(CL)为(3.20~6.75)。两者间差异有统计学意义(P<0.05)。结论:据目前掌握的资料证明中医药治疗宫环出血的临床疗效确切。     

Cardiovascular malformations and organic solvent exposure during pregnancy in Finland

In order to investigate the possible association between cardiovascular malformations and maternal exposure to organic solvents during the first trimester of pregnancy, 569 cases and 1,052 controls were retrospectively studied. The cases represented all infants with diagnosed cardiovascular malformations born in Finland in 1982-1984, and the controls were randomly selected from all normal births in the country during the same period. All mothers were interviewed approximately 3 months after delivery by a midwife using a structured questionnaire. Exposures to organic solvents at work during the first trimester of pregnancy were slightly more prevalent among the mothers of affected infants (10.4%) than among those of controls (7.8%). Logistic regression analysis of exposure to organic solvents showed an adjusted relative odds ratio of 1.3 (95% confidence interval, 0.8-2.2). In the analysis of ventricular septal defect, exposure to organic solvents showed an adjusted relative odds ratio of 1.5 (95% confidence interval, 1.0-3.7).     

Abnormal cardiac histology in severe intrauterine growth retardation infants

Four infants with severe intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR) weighing less than 1000 g at birth developed heart failure and died in our unit, where heart failure of IUGR infants is the main reason of death in extremely low birth-weight infants. The causes of their heart failure are one of the main themes in current neonatal medicine. The subjects of this study were four small for gestational age infants; all died due to heart failure 5 to 10 days after birth. Microscopic specimens of hearts from autopsies were evaluated with respect to the following characteristics: thickness of myocardial fibers, maturation of nuclei, presence of dysgenesis or necrosis in myocardium, and amount of glycogen in the heart. Neither dysgenesis nor infarction of the heart was found but hypoplasia in myocardial fibers and decreased glycogen levels were observed. Maturation delay in myocytes' nuclei did not appear to be severe. We conclude that these infants' hearts failed to adapt to postnatal hemodynamic changes because of inadequate myocardial function and inadequate glycogen reserves.