![Sample our Medicine, Dentistry, Nursing & Allied Health journals, sign in here to start your FREE access for 14 days]({"type":"image" , "src" : "/sda/5944/TOC-Subject-Sample-2021-Medicine-Dentistry-Nursing-Allied-Health.jpg"})
Abstract
Objective: Comparing maternal and neonatal outcomes after conventional cesarean section (CS) versus a “natural” or “skin-to-skin” cesarean section (SSCS).
Methods: Retrospective cohort of women who underwent a SSCS (01-2013 until 12-2013) compared to conventional CS (08-2011 to 08-2012). CS before 37 weeks, under general anesthesia and in case of fetal distress were excluded. Main outcome measures were maternal blood loss, post-operative infection and admission; neonatal infection and admission; procedural outcomes.
Results: We analyzed 285 (44%) women in the SSCS-group and 365 (56%) in the conventional CS-group. There were no significant differences in surgical site infection (2.1% versus 1.6%; RR 1.1; 95%CI 0.64–2.0), or other maternal outcomes. Fewer neonates born after SSCS were admitted to the pediatric ward (9.5% versus 18%; RR 0.58; 95%CI 0.41–0.80) and fewer neonates had a suspected neonatal infection (2.0% versus 7.3%; RR 0.40; 95%CI 0.19–0.83). No differences were observed for other outcomes. Mean operation time was 4m42s longer in the SSCS-group compared to the conventional CS-group (58m versus 53m; 95%CI 2m44s–6m40s). Mean recovery time was 14m46s shorter (114m versus 129m; 95%CI 3m20s–26m).
Conclusion: Adverse maternal and neonatal outcomes were not increased after skin-to-skin cesarean compared to conventional cesarean delivery.
Acknowledgements
There are no acknowledgements to report.
Declaration of interest
The authors report no conflict of interest.
Ethics Approval
Ethical approval was obtained by the Medical Ethical Committee of the Martini Hospital, Groningen, The Netherlands. (MEC no. 2013-111. Date: November 2013). Informed consent was not needed by the Medical Ethical Committee as patient files were retained retrospectively and stored anonymously in the data file.
Supplementary material available online