The main hazards of vaginal breech delivery are perinatal mortality and neonatal morbidity, caused especially by trauma or asphyxia. The present study is an analysis of 366 consecutive term breech deliveries. The authors have been concerned with the evaluation of factors associated with early and late complications related to vaginal delivery. During the period of study, the cesarean section rate changed in their department from about 20 per cent of term breech presentations at the beginning to almost 50 per cent at the end. This change in the rate of cesarean section has occurred in spite of the fact that the strictly mechanical indication for abdominal delivery (i.e., feto-pelvic disproportion) has remained essentially unchanged during the period of the study. Consequently, the authors have been interested in evaluating the effects of different cesarean section rates on the incidence of significant fetal complications.
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