Preterm cesarean delivery for nonreassuring fetal heart rate tracing: Risk factors and predictability of adverse outcomes.

OBJECTIVE: To compare adverse outcomes among preterm births that underwent cesarean delivery (CD) for non-reassuring fetal heart rate tracing (NRFHT) versus those that did not.

STUDY DESIGN: Consortium on Safe Labor Database was utilized for this secondary analysis. Inclusion criteria were non-anomalous, singleton at 23.0 to 36.6 weeks who labored for at least 2 h. Composite adverse neonatal outcomes included any of the following intraventricular hemorrhage grade III or IV, seizures, mechanical ventilation, sepsis, necrotizing enterocolitis 2 or 3, or neonatal death. Composite adverse maternal outcomes included any of the following postpartum hemorrhage, endometritis, blood transfusion, chorioamnionitis, admission to intensive care unit, thromboembolism, or death.

RESULTS: Of 228,438 births, 29,592 (13.0%) delivered preterm, and 16,679 (56.4%) labored for at least 2 hrs. CD for NR FHRT was done in 1,220 (7.3%). The rate of composite adverse neonatal outcome was different among those that had CD for NR FHRT (26.7%) versus those that did not (16.6%; aRR 1.59, 95% CI 1.43-1.76). Composite adverse maternal outcomes did not differ between the groups. The area under the curve for risk factors to identify composite adverse neonatal outcome was 0.81, and for composite adverse maternal outcomes, 0.64.

CONCLUSIONS: Subsequent to CD for NR FHRT, composite adverse neonatal outcome is 59% higher among preterm births when compared to delivery with reassuring tracing; composite adverse maternal outcomes did not differ between the groups.