Authors : Godishela Rammurthy, Seema Pundir, Neeraj Sharma, Sanjay Choudhary, Ritu Khatuja
DOI : 10.18231/2394-2754.2018.0045
Volume : 5
Issue : 2
Year : 0
Page No : 199-202
Timing of elective caesarean deliveries at term has become an important issue nowadays due to the progressive increase in caesarean delivery rates in recent years all over the world. Advanced maternal age at conception, legal considerations, assisted reproductive techniques and maternal request play an important role in the increased rates of elective repeated caesarean delivery. However the most important cause is the increased number of cases with repeated caesarean sections. Hence, study was undertaken with the aim to find correlation between gestational age of elective caesarean section performed at 38 weeks, 39 weeks, 40 weeks and neonatal outcome. A prospective comparative study consisting of 750 patients was done over a period of one and half year in Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology Dr. Baba Saheb Ambedkar Hospital in Delhi. Neonatal outcomes were based on: Birth weight, apgar score (at 1 and 5 minutes), Respiratory complications, Hypothermia (axillary temperature <36.50C within 1 hour of life), Hypoglycaemia (< 40 mg/dl within 1 hour of life), feeding difficulties. In our study neonatal outcomes are similar in elective caesarean sections done at 38, 39 and 40 weeks of gestation. So elective caesarean section can be done in between 38 to 40 weeks depending upon the resources available in a as the neonatal outcomes at 38 weeks are similar to 39 and 40 weeks. But further trials with larger sample size are needed to validate the results.
Keywords: Elective caesarean section, neonatal outcome, Gestational age, Apgar score, Respiratory complications.