Intrapartum Cesarean Delivery Due to Nonreassuring Fetal Heart Rate and the Risk of Pediatric Infectious Morbidity-related Hospitalizations of the Offspring

Objectives: One of the most common indications for intrapartum cesarean delivery (CD) is nonreassuring fetal heart rate (NRFHR) patterns. We aimed to study the long-term effect of CD due to NRFHR on the risk for subsequent childhood infectious morbidity-related hospitalizations of the offspring. Study Design: A population-based cohort study was performed, comparing total and different subtypes of infectious morbidity-related pediatric hospitalizations among offspring born by CD due to NRFHR versus labor dystocia (failure of labor to progress during the 1st or 2nd stage). The analysis included all singletons born between the years 1999-2014 at a single tertiary regional medical center. Infectious-related morbidities included hospitalizations involving a predefined set of International Classification of Diseases, 9th revision codes, as recorded in hospital computerized files. Infants with congenital malformations, multiple gestations, vaginal deliveries and vacuum failure were excluded from the analysis. Perinatal mortality cases were excluded from the long-term analysis. A Kaplan-Meier survival curve was used to compare the cumulative morbidity, and a Cox proportional hazards model was constructed to adjust for confounders. Results: The study population included 9956 newborns who met inclusion criteria; among them, 5810 (58%) were born by CD due to NRFHR, and 4146 (42%) were born via CD following labor dystocia with normal fetal heart rate (comparison group). Offspring born following NRFHR had higher rates of infectious morbidity-related hospitalizations (11.4% vs. 9.1%; odds ratio, 1.3; 95% confidence interval, 1.1-1.5; P < 0.01; Kaplan-Meier survival curve P < 0.01). The association remained significant and independent while adjusting for gestational age, maternal age and comorbidities, using a Cox proportional hazards model (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.3; 95% confidence interval, 1.2-1.4; P < 0.01). Conclusions: In our population, CD due to NRFHR is a risk factor for pediatric infectious morbidity-related hospitalizations of the offspring.