Method and route of delivery in the low birth weight vertex presentation correlated with early periventricular/intraventricular hemorrhage.

Two hundred eighty patients with vertex presentation who were in spontaneous labor and delivered neonates weighing 2 kg or less were examined for early ultrasound evidence of periventricular/intraventricular hemorrhage. This was correlated retrospectively with delivery route (cesarean section versus vaginal delivery) and delivery method (low forceps delivery versus normal spontaneous delivery) in the group born vaginally. No correlation was evident between early periventricular/intraventricular hemorrhage and delivery route or method.