The infants most affected by general anesthesia for cesarean delivery are those who are already compromised in utero, according to the results of a study reported in the April 29 Online First issue of BMC Medicine. Anaesthesia guidelines recommend regional anaesthesia for most caesarean sections due to the risk of failed intubation and aspiration with general anaesthesia," write Charles S. Algert, from Kolling Institute of Medical Research, University of Sydney in Sydney, Australia, and colleagues. However, general anaesthesia is considered to be safe for the foetus, based on limited evidence, and is still used for caesarean sections. The study cohort consisted of 50,806 infants delivered by cesarean delivery from 1998 to 2004 for indications of planned subsequent cesarean delivery, failure to progress, or fetal distress. The investigators compared outcomes of neonatal intubation and 5-minute Apgar scores of less than 7 for deliveries performed with the mother under general anesthesia vs those performed with the mother under spinal or epidural anesthesia. For all 3 indications and across all levels of hospital, the risk for adverse outcomes was increased for cesarean deliveries performed with the patient under general anesthesia. Low-risk, planned subsequent cesarean deliveries had the largest relative risks for resuscitation with intubation (relative risk, 12.8; 95% confidence interval [CI], 7.6 - 21.7), and for Apgar scores of less than 7 (relative risk, 13.4; 95% CI, 9.2 - 19.4). Unplanned cesarean deliveries because of fetal distress had the largest absolute increase in risk (5 extra intubations per 100 deliveries and 6 extra Apgar scores <>
The Australian National Health and Medical Research Council supported this study. The study authors have disclosed no relevant financial relationships.
BMC Med. Published online April 29, 2009.
