Neurodevelopmental Outcomes Similar for Operative Vaginal Delivery, Second-Stage Cesarean Delivery

FRIDAY, Feb. 6, 2026 (HealthDay News) -- Children who undergo operative vaginal delivery and second-stage cesarean delivery (SSCD) generally have comparable neurodevelopmental outcomes, according to a study published online Jan. 30 in JAMA Network Open.Maya Rajasingham, M.P.H., from McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, and colleagues examined the association between mode of operative delivery in the second stage of labor and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and intellectual disability (ID) in children in a population-based, retrospective cohort study using data from health administrative databases. The population included 504,380 nonanomalous, singleton, full-term infants who survived their first year of life.Among the 504,380 children, 80.9, 9.2, 4.6, 0.6, and 4.7 percent were delivered by spontaneous vaginal delivery, vacuum, forceps, sequential instrument, and SSCD, respectively. The researchers found that the overall rates of ADHD, ASD, and ID were 6.6, 1.8, and 0.3 per 1,000 person-years, respectively. Children who underwent sequential instrument delivery had a higher ADHD rate compared with those who underwent SSCD (7.9 versus 6.6 per 1,000 person-years; adjusted hazard ratio [AHR], 1.13), and those who underwent vacuum delivery had a higher rate of ID compared with those who underwent SSCD (0.3 versus 0.2 per 1,000 person-years; AHR, 1.53). No significant association was seen between ASD and mode of delivery."Rather than pointing to a single 'safer' intervention, the findings suggest that multiple delivery options can be used without compromising long-term child development when intervention is needed," senior author Giulia M. Muraca, Ph.D., also from McMaster University, said in a statement.One author reported financial support from the Swedish Research Council.Abstract/Full Text.Sign up for our weekly HealthDay newsletter

Neurodevelopmental Outcomes Similar for Operative Vaginal Delivery, Second-Stage Cesarean Delivery

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