A comparative study on breech deliveries attended in 1992: hospital centers from Latin America versus Spain and Portugal.

OBJECTIVES

The first aim of this study was to compare the incidence and management of breech deliveries, as well as perinatal mortality rates, in centers from Latin America versus Spain and Portugal in Europe. A second aim of this study was to analyse the correlation between the rates of c-sections and perinatal mortality.

METHODS

Data from 287 313 deliveries, 8,764 of which were singleton breech deliveries attended in 1992 in 30 centers from Latin America and 44 centers from Spain and Portugal, were provided by the doctors in charge of the obstetric services and analysed using a computer statistical package (R-sigma, Horus Hardware).

RESULTS

The incidence of breech deliveries was lower in centers from Latin America than in Spain and Portugal, 2.6% vs. 3.7%, respectively, but the percentage of preterm breech deliveries was higher in the former (23% vs. 17%; P < 0.001). In the total number of deliveries, c-sections were performed more frequently in Latin America, but the perinatal mortality rates were triple those in Spain and Portugal. In breech presentations from both geographical areas nearly 70% of c-sections were performed. However, the perinatal mortality rates in breech presentations were more than twice those of the total number of deliveries in Latin America, and more than three times in Spain and Portugal. There was no correlation between percentage of c-sections and perinatal mortality rates in the different centers in Spain and Portugal, but this correlation was significantly negative in both all and breech deliveries from centers in Latin America. Breech deliveries were more frequently monitored and attended by a specialist in Spain and Portugal.

CONCLUSIONS

Preterm deliveries, c-sections and perinatal mortality were more frequent, and the correlation between these two latter rates was significantly negative for both all and breech deliveries in Latin America. As long as basic health care is still an issue in certain countries, it seems that a high rate of c-sections could prevent or reduce perinatal mortality. Yet, in countries with better health care standards, there is probably no need to perform c-section in most breech presentations.