Infant outcomes worse with planned C-section

NEW YORK (Reuters) -- 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 Gynecology.

"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 six-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.