Influence of presentation on neonatal outcome of vaginally delivered low birthweight infants. A matched pair analysis.

Neonatal outcome of 30 low birthweight (800 to 2000 g) breech infants delivered vaginally was compared with a matched sample of vaginally delivered vertex infants. Using a multiple regression analysis, presentation was found to be significantly related only to the Apgar score at 1 minute. No effect of presentation was found on Apgar score at 5 minutes, length of stay in the nursery, need for ventilatory support, or incidence of neonatal death, seizures, or intracranial hemorrhage. Thus, vaginal delivery of low birthweight breech fetuses was associated with short-term infant outcomes comparable to those of similar fetuses delivered vaginally from vertex presentations. The findings suggest that prevailing assumptions about the risks of premature breech vaginal delivery need to be evaluated critically.