Management of low birth weight breech delivery: should cesarean section be routine?

A total of 434 low birth weight deliveries between 1967 and 1976 were studied retrospectively. Of these, 217 were breech deliveries, and the other 217 constituted a control series of vertex deliveries. In the breech deliveries the perinatal mortality was 1.8 times that of the cephalic cases, and the neonatal mortality was 2.9 times greater. During the last 5 years of the study, the cesarean section rate increased for the group of infants weighing between 1500 and 2499 g; this policy did not improve the prognosis in breech presentations. Malformations and respiratory distress syndrome were more frequent in breech presentations. Conditions associated with the corrected perinatal mortality (cerebral hemorrhage, fetal asphyxia, prolapsed cord) were also more common in breech presentations, but especially in the group of infants weighing less than 1500 g. This weight group, for which the cesarean section rate did not rise, emerged in the study as a special area of concern. Conclusions and recommendations for management are presented.