Outcomes in term breech birth according to intended mode of delivery—A Swedish prospective single‐center experience of a dedicated breech birth team

Abstract Introduction The appropriate mode of delivery for breech babies is a topic of ongoing debate. After the publication of the Term Breech Trial in 2000, the proportion of breech babies delivered vaginally in Sweden rapidly dropped to 7% from 26%. In 2015, international guidelines changed to on...

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Main Authors: Nicolas Yaouzis Olsson, Emma Debora Bartfai, Hanna Åmark, Tove Wallström
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2024-11-01
Series:Acta Obstetricia et Gynecologica Scandinavica
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Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1111/aogs.14945
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author Nicolas Yaouzis Olsson
Emma Debora Bartfai
Hanna Åmark
Tove Wallström
author_facet Nicolas Yaouzis Olsson
Emma Debora Bartfai
Hanna Åmark
Tove Wallström
author_sort Nicolas Yaouzis Olsson
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Introduction The appropriate mode of delivery for breech babies is a topic of ongoing debate. After the publication of the Term Breech Trial in 2000, the proportion of breech babies delivered vaginally in Sweden rapidly dropped to 7% from 26%. In 2015, international guidelines changed to once again recommend offering vaginal breech deliveries in select cases. In 2017, a Swedish hospital established a dedicated Breech Team to provide safe vaginal breech deliveries according to the new guidelines. The aim of this study is to compare neonatal morbidity in the group planned for cesarean breech delivery with the group planned for vaginal breech delivery treated in accordance with the new guidelines. The study adds to the literature by providing insights into the consequences of reintroducing vaginal breech births in a high‐resource health‐care setting. Material and Methods A prospective observational study was conducted at Södersjukhuset's maternity ward with 1067 women who gave birth to a single breech fetus at term. Outcomes were compared between the planned vaginal and planned cesarean delivery groups using intention‐to‐treat analysis and multivariate analysis to control for confounders. Results Out of the 1067 women, 78.9% were planned for cesarean delivery and 21.1% were planned for vaginal delivery. The planned vaginal group had a significantly greater risk for neonatal morbidity compared to the planned cesarean group (3.1% vs. 0.7%; OR 4.44, 95% CI 1.48–13.34). The risk difference remained significant after controlling for confounders. Conclusions Planned vaginal breech delivery was associated with an increased risk of neonatal mortality and short‐term morbidity compared to planned cesarean breech delivery in accordance with the new guidelines. The potential risks and benefits of planned vaginal breech delivery should be carefully weighed against those of planned cesarean delivery.
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spelling doaj-art-3d24e7ee8e9d45be9634ddac7274a4322025-08-20T03:30:53ZengWileyActa Obstetricia et Gynecologica Scandinavica0001-63491600-04122024-11-01103112296230510.1111/aogs.14945Outcomes in term breech birth according to intended mode of delivery—A Swedish prospective single‐center experience of a dedicated breech birth teamNicolas Yaouzis Olsson0Emma Debora Bartfai1Hanna Åmark2Tove Wallström3Department of Clinical Science and Education, Unit of Obstetrics and Gynecology Karolinska Institutet Stockholm SwedenDepartment of Clinical Science and Education, Unit of Obstetrics and Gynecology Karolinska Institutet Stockholm SwedenDepartment of Clinical Science and Education, Unit of Obstetrics and Gynecology Karolinska Institutet Stockholm SwedenDepartment of Clinical Science and Education, Unit of Obstetrics and Gynecology Karolinska Institutet Stockholm SwedenAbstract Introduction The appropriate mode of delivery for breech babies is a topic of ongoing debate. After the publication of the Term Breech Trial in 2000, the proportion of breech babies delivered vaginally in Sweden rapidly dropped to 7% from 26%. In 2015, international guidelines changed to once again recommend offering vaginal breech deliveries in select cases. In 2017, a Swedish hospital established a dedicated Breech Team to provide safe vaginal breech deliveries according to the new guidelines. The aim of this study is to compare neonatal morbidity in the group planned for cesarean breech delivery with the group planned for vaginal breech delivery treated in accordance with the new guidelines. The study adds to the literature by providing insights into the consequences of reintroducing vaginal breech births in a high‐resource health‐care setting. Material and Methods A prospective observational study was conducted at Södersjukhuset's maternity ward with 1067 women who gave birth to a single breech fetus at term. Outcomes were compared between the planned vaginal and planned cesarean delivery groups using intention‐to‐treat analysis and multivariate analysis to control for confounders. Results Out of the 1067 women, 78.9% were planned for cesarean delivery and 21.1% were planned for vaginal delivery. The planned vaginal group had a significantly greater risk for neonatal morbidity compared to the planned cesarean group (3.1% vs. 0.7%; OR 4.44, 95% CI 1.48–13.34). The risk difference remained significant after controlling for confounders. Conclusions Planned vaginal breech delivery was associated with an increased risk of neonatal mortality and short‐term morbidity compared to planned cesarean breech delivery in accordance with the new guidelines. The potential risks and benefits of planned vaginal breech delivery should be carefully weighed against those of planned cesarean delivery.https://doi.org/10.1111/aogs.14945breech deliverymaternal morbidityneonatal morbidityplanned cesarean deliveryplanned vaginal delivery
spellingShingle Nicolas Yaouzis Olsson
Emma Debora Bartfai
Hanna Åmark
Tove Wallström
Outcomes in term breech birth according to intended mode of delivery—A Swedish prospective single‐center experience of a dedicated breech birth team
Acta Obstetricia et Gynecologica Scandinavica
breech delivery
maternal morbidity
neonatal morbidity
planned cesarean delivery
planned vaginal delivery
title Outcomes in term breech birth according to intended mode of delivery—A Swedish prospective single‐center experience of a dedicated breech birth team
title_full Outcomes in term breech birth according to intended mode of delivery—A Swedish prospective single‐center experience of a dedicated breech birth team
title_fullStr Outcomes in term breech birth according to intended mode of delivery—A Swedish prospective single‐center experience of a dedicated breech birth team
title_full_unstemmed Outcomes in term breech birth according to intended mode of delivery—A Swedish prospective single‐center experience of a dedicated breech birth team
title_short Outcomes in term breech birth according to intended mode of delivery—A Swedish prospective single‐center experience of a dedicated breech birth team
title_sort outcomes in term breech birth according to intended mode of delivery a swedish prospective single center experience of a dedicated breech birth team
topic breech delivery
maternal morbidity
neonatal morbidity
planned cesarean delivery
planned vaginal delivery
url https://doi.org/10.1111/aogs.14945
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