The Effect of the Cause of Delivery on Neonatal Outcomes in Early Preterm Deliveries

Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of causes of delivery on short-term neonatal morbidities and mortality in EPD (< 34 gestational weeks). We retrospectively analysed the deliveries occurring between 23 + 0 and 33 + 6th gestational weeks at our tertiary center during 2014-2018. A total of 290 deliveries were evaluated, and 369 newborns [singletons (56.4%), twins (36.6%) and triplets (7.1%)] were included in the study. The causes of deliveries were defined as spontaneously preterm birth (n = 107, 29%), preterm premature rupture of membranes (PPROM) (n = 131, 35.5%) or iatrogenic preterm birth (n = 131, 35.5%). The rate of neonatal respiratory distress syndrome (RDS), patent ductus arteriosus, bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), intraventricular haemorrhagia (IVH), necrotising enterocolitis, retinopathy of prematurity, neonatal resuscitation, sepsis and death were similar between groups. However; neonatal RDS, BPD, IVH and sepsis were found to be higher in cases with chorioamnionitis, which could be considered as subcategory of PPROM. Preterm deliveries have an adverse effect on perinatal outcomes. Also, such causes of labor might be related to varied neonatal morbidities. However, splitting to early preterm deliveries into subgroups, according to cause of delivery, did not provide further information to predict such complications except chorioamnionitis.