ABSTRACT

Objectives:

To evaluate the short-term neonatal outcomes of spinal, combined (spinal-epidural) and general anesthesia in elective cesarean deliveries.

Design:

Retrospective cohort study.

Setting:

Baskent University Alanya Research and Medical Center.

Patients:

376 parturients who have delivered via elective ceseraen section between June 2005 and December 2007.

Main outcome measures:

Apgar scores at the 1st and 5th minutes, oxygen administration to the neonate, intubations, observation in the incubator and transfer to a special intensive care unit were recorded as the neonatal outcome parameters. One-way ANOVA, t-test and Pearson correlation correlation test were used for the statistical analyses. The results were considered to be statistically significant if p value was <0,05.

Results:

There wasn’t any significant difference between regional (spinal and combined) and general anesthesia groups with respect to the 1 and 5 minute - Apgar scores. Outcomes were similar among the three anesthesia groups, when O2 requirement of the newborn, transfer to the neonatal intensive care unit and observation in the incubator were considered.

Conclusions:

Neither regional nor general anesthesia was found to be superior than the other for elective Cesarean delivery, according to the neonatal outcome results.