Abstract
BACKGROUND: The present study aims to assess morbidities among babies born by elective or planned cesarean section (CS) and to compare the results with neonatal outcomes of normal vaginal delivery. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A prospective, hospital-based study was carried out at maternity teaching hospitals, Al-Khansia Hospital, Al Salam, and Mosul General Hospital in the city of Mosul. Women who had admitted to the hospitals for delivery were included in the study with verbal consent, and term newborns with a gestational age of more than 37 weeks were the main outcome variables of interest. The 205 deliveries at Mosul City's maternity hospitals that made up the research sample included 120 CS deliveries and 85 vaginal deliveries. Only after providing verbal consent were women who went to the hospital for childbirth included in the study; those born prematurely or whose mothers experienced health problems during pregnancy were excluded. The required information was gathered at the time of admission through interviews and chart reviews. All neonatal outcomes for infants admitted to the intensive care unit were documented, and follow-up was conducted from the patient's arrival at the hospital until their discharge. Data from the study were analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) Version 26. The study sample's demographics were displayed using descriptive statistics, and the potential differences in neonatal outcomes between CSs and standard delivery methods were assessed using a statistical test (Chi-X2). RESULTS: During the study period, 205 deliveries were performed at maternity teaching hospitals in Mosul city, 58.53% of them were performed through CS, and the rest (41.4%) of them were via normal vaginal delivery. There was a significant difference between the two groups (P value: 0.000), with respiratory distress developing in 44.2% of neonates born through CS and only 11.8% of neonates born naturally. CONCLUSION: The study's conclusions showed that there was a considerable risk of poor neonatal outcomes following planned or elective CSs. Additionally, compared to babies delivered vaginally, babies born via CSs had a higher risk of respiratory distress and longer stays in the neonatal intensive care unit.