Influence of the mode of delivery on perinatal mortality in infants less than 32 weeks gestational age

Survival rate of 96 low-birth-weight infants less than 32 weeks post-conceptional age at birth was studied in relation with the mode of delivery. Twenty-two infants were delivered by elective cesarean section because of abnormalities during pregnancy with 3 neonatal deaths. Seventy-four infants were born after untreatable premature onset of labor with 9 intrapartum and 7 neonatal deaths. Poor prognosis was associated with gestational age (less than 29 weeks), non cephalic vaginal delivery and multiple births. In these cases, cesarean section should be discussed.