OUTCOME OF VAGINAL DELIVERIES VERSUS CESARIAN SECTION IN THE ECLAMPTIC MOTHER: COMPARATIVE STUDY IN SHEIKH ZAID WOMEN HOSPITAL LARKANA

Abstract

Objective: To determine outcome of vaginal deliveries versus cesarian section in the eclamptic mother at Sheikh Zaid Women Hospital Larkana.

Study Design: Prospective Cohort Study.

Place and Duration of the Study: Gynecology unit 1 of obstetrics and gynecology department of Sheikh Zaid Women Hospital Larkana, Sindh, Pakistan, from July 2025 to January 2026.

Methodology: A total of 162 pregnant women diagnosed with eclampsia were enrolled consecutively and followed through delivery and the immediate postpartum period. Pregnant women were categorized into two equal, comparable groups, i.e., vaginal delivery and Caesarean section groups (81 in each group). These groups were compared for maternal and neonatal outcomes using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences software version 26.

Results: Maternal mortality (2.5% vs. 3.7%; p=1.000), stillbirth (3.7% vs. 4.9%; p=1.000), and neonatal mortality (7.4% vs. 9.9%; p=0.781) were low and showed a non-significant difference across both groups. However, the cesarean section group experienced a significantly higher incidence of ICU admission (13.6% vs. 34.6%; p=0.003), maternal complications (17.3% vs. 32.1%; p=0.044), NICU admission (3.5% vs. 44.4%; p=0.008), Apgar Score < 7 at 5 min (16.0% vs. 34.6%; p=0.011), and low birth weight (2.9 vs. 2.6; p=0.004) than the vaginal delivery group.

Conclusion: The mode of delivery in high-risk eclamptic pregnancies was found to have a substantial influence on the short-term outcomes for both mothers and newborns. The risk of maternal and newborn complications is much greater in the caesarean section group compared to vaginal delivery.