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INTRODUCTION: Caesarean section is thought to be a risk factor for childhood asthma, but this association may be caused by confounding from, for instance, familial factors. To address this problem, we used twin pairs to assess the risk of childhood asthma after emergency caesarean section.METHODS: The study was a register-based nation-wide matched cohort study using twin pairs to minimise residual confounding. Included were twin pairs in which the first twin was delivered vaginally and the second by emergency caesarean section during the study period from January 1997 through December 2012.RESULTS: In total, 464 twin pairs (928 twins) were included. In 30 pairs, the first twin (vaginal delivery) was diagnosed with asthma, but the second twin (emergency caesarean section) was not. In 20 pairs, the second twin (emergency caesarean section) was diagnosed with asthma, but the first twin (vaginal delivery) was not. In 11 pairs, both twins developed asthma. In the unadjusted analysis, emergency caesarean section did not affect the risk of asthma (odds ratio = 0.67 (95% confidence interval: 0.38-1.17); p = 0.16). After adjusting for birth weight, gender, umbilical cord pH, Apgar score at 5 min. and neonatal respiratory morbidity, the risk of childhood asthma following emergency caesarean section remained unchanged.CONCLUSION: Emergency caesarean section was not associated with childhood asthma.FUNDING: none.TRIAL REGISTRATION: not relevant.

Caesarean section (CS) is a common surgical procedure, and in Denmark 21% of deliveries is by CS. There is an increasing amount of scientific evidence to support the different surgical techniques used at CS. This article reviews the literature regarding CS techniques. There is still a lack of evidence especially about the long-term consequences of the surgical techniques.

OBJECTIVE: Investigate the rate of internal podalic version followed by breech extraction for a second non-vertex twin with the first delivered vaginally, and compare neonatal outcome with emergency cesarean section.DESIGN: Cohort study.SETTING: National Danish Registers.POPULATION: Twin pregnancies (1997-2012) with gestational age ≥34 weeks; first twin delivered vaginally, second by internal podalic version and breech extraction or cesarean section.METHODS: Data were collected from the Danish National Patient Register and the Danish National Birth Register.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Rates of delivery mode, 5-min Apgar score, asphyxia, umbilical cord pH, admission to neonatal intensive care unit, treatment by mechanical ventilation, and experience level of obstetricians performing internal podalic version.RESULTS: 457 births were available for analysis: 39 cases of internal podalic version and breech extraction and 418 cesarean section cases for second twin. Compared with the cesarean section group, the internal podalic version group had lower rates of asphyxia. Apgar scores and umbilical cord pH levels were not significantly different, although with a tendency to be higher in the internal version than the cesarean section group, however, fewer cases needed mechanical ventilation. Thirty internal versions and breech extractions were performed by obstetricians with >5 years clinical experience and three by trainees.CONCLUSION: Cesarean sections for a second twin seem to have been frequent during the last 15 years while internal podalic version is a vanishing procedure. A slight tendency for better neonatal outcome was found in the internal podalic version and extraction group than cesarean section.

To investigate in depth to what extent indications for emergency cesarean sections followed evidence-based audit criteria for realistic best practice.