THE BENEFICIAL EFFECT OF VACUUM EXTRACTION ON THE FETUS

  • 1 January 1982
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 61  (4) , 337-340
Abstract
The vacuum extractor (VE) was applied electively after .apprx. 25 min of expulsion in 25 normal [human] primiparae. Identical parturients [25] with spontaneous deliveries served as controls. The fetal scalp pH was measured at the beginning of the 2nd stage, and again in the cord blood of all newborns. Cardiac monitoring by scalp electrode was done for all fetuses throughout labor. The mean pH of the 1st blood sample was almost identical in the 2 groups, while the mean decrease in pH in the VE group was 0.077, against a mean change of 0.106 in the controls (P < 0.05). In the FHR [fetal heart rate] graph the total area of deceleration, and separately, the total area of deceleration up to 30 beats/min (area A) and of > 30 beats/min (area B) were calculated. The mean total area of deceleration in the VE group was 14.76 cm2 vis-a-vis 17.56 cm2 in the controls. Areas A and B were also smaller in the study group, but these differences were not statistically significant. The mean total deceleration time in the VE fetuses was 22.8 min, and 37.75 min in the controls (P < 0.001). Application of the VE during the 2nd stage lessens fetal depression, when compared to spontaneous delivery.