Birth-related spinal cord injuries: a multicentric review of nine cases

Objective The objective of this study was to report a multicentric study of nine cases of children presenting with a birth-related spinal injury. Materials and methods The medical charts of nine patients identified by a questionnaire sent to the members of the French Society of Paediatric Orthopaedics (SOFOP) were reviewed. Conclusions The pregnancy was uneventful in all cases. The fetal presentation was cephalic in three cases, a breech presentation in four cases, a face presentation in two cases. The lesion involved the cervical spine in six cases. Three patients presenting upper cervical injuries died before the age of 6 years. The six remaining patients experienced no neurological improvement. These rare conditions occur during difficult deliveries with abnormal presentations, the most common being a breech presentation with entrapment of the fetal head. In a child with hypotonia, flaccid quadriplegia or high thoracic paraplegia after a difficult delivery, a spinal cord injury must be suspected and plain radiographs and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) must be performed.     

368例臀位孕妇分娩方式与结局临床分析

目的观察368例臀位孕妇的分娩方式与结局.方法比较剖宫产分娩的臀位产妇和阴道分娩的臀位产妇的母婴并发症、死亡率.结果剖宫产组新生儿Apgar评分≤3分和4～7分者的比例、新生儿窒息率、骨折率、臂丛神经损伤率、颅内出血率和死亡率显著低于阴道分娩组(P<0.01),产后出血率和产褥感染率显著高于阴道分娩组(P<0.01).结论应全面根据臀位产妇的情况选择适合的分娩方式.     

Safety of term vaginal breech delivery

Of 247 women who were pregnant of one healthy child in breech presentation at term, 13 (5.3%) were delivered by a primary cesarean section. The other 234 (94.7%) were allowed to attempt vaginal birth. In these women, the only factor to determine the possibility of a vaginal delivery was normal progression of labor during the first stage, without secondary arrest or signs of fetal distress. 109 Women (44.1%) were delivered spontaneously according to Bracht, 87 (35.2%) had an assisted breech delivery, and 38 (15.4%) underwent a secondary cesarean section. There were two perinatal deaths (0.8%). One of them was directly related to the trial of labor. Two children with a birth trauma had an uneventful recovery. The 1 min Apgar score in all breech delivery groups was more often lower than in a control group of children, who were born spontaneously at term in vertex presentation. However, the 5 min Apgar score and the mean umbilical artery pH were within normal limits in all groups. The secondary cesarean section rate was inversely related to vaginal parity of the mother, and directly related to the newborns' birth weight. There was no relation between the secondary cesarean section rate and the type of breech presentation. It is concluded, that a trial of labor in carefully selected patients with a child in breech presentation at term is a safe procedure, that can be successfully completed in almost 80% of cases. In retrospect, low vaginal parity and high birth weight of the newborn have a negative influence on normal progression of labor.     

臀位分娩方式选择对新生儿影响的临床研究

目的：探讨不同臀位分娩方式对新生儿预后的影响。方法：回顾性分析自2007年1月至2011年12月期间在我院住院分娩的98例臀位产妇的临床资料,其中35例阴道分娩（臀位阴道分娩组）,63例剖宫产（臀位剖宫产组）,观察比较两组产妇新生儿死亡及新生儿窒息、吸入性肺炎等并发症发生情况,同时对两组新生儿进行Apgar评分并进45-比较。结果：63例臀位剖宫产组新生儿无1例死亡,35例臀位阴道分娩组新生儿3例（8．57％）死亡,两组新生儿死亡率差畀具有统计学意义（P〈0．05）。63例臀位剖宫产组新生儿,2例（3．18％）发生并发症,臀位阴道分娩组8例（22．86％）发生并发症,两组差异具有统计学意义（P〈0．05）。臀位剖宫产组新生儿Apgar评分为（7．2±1．8）分,臀位阴道分娩组为（4．5±1．3）分,前者显著高于后者,差异有统计学意义（P〈0．05）。结论：臀位分娩时选择剖宫产可降低新生儿并发症的发生,降低新生儿死亡率,提高Apgar评分,在臀位分娩时宜适当放宽剖宫产手术指征,对于改善新生儿预后有着重要意义．     

Obstetrical and neonatal outcomes following unsuccessful external cephalic version: a stratified analysis amongst failures,successes, and controls

Objective: Though on average one out of every two external cephalic versions (ECV) fails to rotate the breech fetus, little is known about the outcomes of pregnancies in which ECV is unsuccessful. The objective of the present study is to compare obstetrical and neonatal outcomes following failure of ECV, relative to cases of breech controls without an attempt at ECV.

Study design: We conducted a retrospective, population-based, cohort study using the CDC's Birth Data files from the US for the year 2006. We stratified the cohort according to fetal presentation and ECV status: success, failure, and no ECV (controls). The effect of failure of ECV on the risk of several neonatal and obstetrical outcomes was estimated using logistic regression analysis, adjusting for relevant confounders.

Results: We analyzed a total of 4?273?225 births, out of which 183?323 (4.3%) met inclusion criteria. Relative to breech controls, failed ECV occurred more frequently amongst Caucasian, college-educated, married women bearing a female fetus. Compared to no ECV, failure of ECV was associated with increased odds of PROM (aOR, 1.75; 95% CI, 1.60–1.90), elective cesarean delivery (aOR, 1.53; 95% CI, 1.36–1.72), cesarean delivery in labor (aOR, 1.38; 95% CI, 1.21–1.57), abnormal fetal heart tracing (aOR, 1.78; 95% CI, 1.50–2.11), assisted ventilation at birth (aOR, 1.50; 95% CI, 1.27–1.78), 5-min APGAR scores <7 (aOR, 1.35; 95% CI, 1.20–1.51), and NICU admission (aOR, 1.48; 95% CI, 1.20–1.82). The delayed spontaneous fetal restitution rate was 13%. When stratifying controls with regards to trial of labor status, the increased risk of failed ECV persisted for cesarean delivery, NICU admission, assisted ventilation and abnormal fetal tracing, independently of whether a trial of labor took place.

Conclusion: Relative to breech controls without attempt at ECV, failure of ECV to restitute cephalic presentation appears to be associated with an increased risk of adverse perinatal and obstetrical outcomes.     

Is ultrasound screening for DDH in babies born breech sufficient?

Purpose  

To review our incidence of developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH) in breech infants referred for ultrasound screening and to determine if subsequent follow-up radiographs are necessary in these patients with normal clinical and ultrasound examinations.     

Radiologic imaging of severe cervical spinal cord birth trauma

The radiological approach of a child with severe cervical spinal cord injury after a difficult breech delivery is presented. This diagnosis is often missed due to concurrent asphyxia. Ultrasound studies clearly showed the localisation and the extent of the injury. These findings were later confirmed by MRI.Conclusion Ultrasonography is recommended as the initial imaging technique to evaluate possible spinal cord lesions in the neonate.     

Mortality in relation to method of delivery in breech infants

To study the relation of method of delivery to perinatal mortality, we examined information from the deliveries of 1593 breech infants weighing 1000 g or more born in 1976 and 1977. In none of the birthweight groups 1000 g or more was neonatal mortality significantly different between infants delivered vaginally compared with those delivered by cesarean section, although the number of deaths was small. In all the birthweight groups, perinatal mortality was higher in breeches delivered vaginally, but the differences were because all of the infants who died before labor were delivered vaginally. Total mortality (intrapartum plus neonatal deaths) in infants who survived to labor was not significantly different in breech infants delivered by one or the other method at any birthweight. These data suggest that routine cesarean delivery for infants 1000 g or more who are in the breech presentation may not be justified from the standpoint of mortality.     

Mode of delivery for breech presentation in grandmultiparous women.

OBJECTIVES: To compare maternal and neonatal outcomes of planned vaginal delivery vs. elective cesarean delivery for breech presentation at term. METHODS: Retrospective study of term breech deliveries from January 1997 through December 2000. A group of 128 women for whom vaginal delivery was planned was compared with a group of 122 women who had an elective cesarean delivery with regard to neonatal mortality and morbidity (birth trauma, birth asphyxia, hyperbilirubinemia, and duration of stay in the neonatal intensive care unit) and maternal morbidity (infections, hemorrhage, hysterectomy, deep venous thrombosis, and pulmonary embolism). RESULTS: There was no difference in neonatal mortality and morbidity between the two groups (13.0% vs. 9.4%). There were fewer maternal complications in the planned vaginal group than in the elective cesarean group (5.5% vs. 18%; P<0.01). In the planned vaginal delivery group 70% of multiparas and 85% of grandmultiparas were delivered vaginally compared with 50% of nulliparas. CONCLUSIONS: In breech presentations at term vaginal delivery can be achieved in 85% of grandmultiparas without significant neonatal morbidity. Elective cesarean section is associated with increased maternal morbidity compared with planned vaginal delivery.