New York: Newborns who are delivered via planned Caesarean section are more likely to be transferred to the neonatal intensive care unit and to experience lung disorders compared with those delivered via planned vaginal delivery, according to findings published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology.

"The appropriateness of the rising rate of Caesarean delivery worldwide has been debated widely," Dr. Toril Kolas,of Innlandet Hospital Trust, Lillehammer, Norway, and colleagues write.

The researchers examined the outcome of deliveries during a 6-month period, along with data from the Medical Birth Registry of Norway on intended mode of delivery. Of the 18,653 deliveries, 17,828 were planned vaginal deliveries and 825 were planned Caesarean deliveries.

Rates of transfer to the neonatal intensive care unit were 5.2 percent for planned vaginal deliveries, significantly lower than the 9.8 percent for planned Caesarean deliveries. Lung disorders were also significantly lower in the planned vaginal delivery group (0.8 percent) than in the Caesarean delivery group (1.6 percent). No significant differences were observed in the risks of low Apgar score or neurological symptoms.

"For the child, the stress of vaginal delivery seems superior to elective Caesarean delivery in many situations," Kolas and colleagues conclude. "Therefore, we emphasize the importance of limiting planned Caesarean deliveries to cases with proven benefit for the mother and/or child," they write.

"When a planned Caesarean delivery is chosen, the operation should be as close to term as possible."

Source: American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, December 2006