Risk factors for clavicle fracture concurrent with brachial plexus injury.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the risk factors for clavicle fracture concurrent with brachial plexus injuries. METHODS: A retrospective study was conducted at a tertiary centre. The hospital records of 62,288 vaginal deliveries were evaluated retrospectively. There were 35 cases of brachial plexus injury. Of these patients, nine had brachial plexus injuries with clavicle fracture and 26 without clavicle fracture. The analysed risk factors for clavicle fracture concurrent with brachial plexus injury were gestational diabetes, labour induction and augmentation, prolonged second stage of labour, estimated foetal weight above 4000 g, birth weight above 4000 g, risky working hours, and the requirement of manoeuvres to free the impacted shoulder from behind the symphysis pubis. RESULTS: Labour augmentation with oxytocin increased the risk of clavicle fracture in cases of brachial plexus injury (OR 6.67; 95% CI 1.26-35.03). A birth weight higher than 4000 g also increased the risk of clavicle fracture. Risky working hours, gestational diabetes, estimated foetal weight higher than 4000 g, and requirement of shoulder dystocia manoeuvres did not increase the risk of clavicle fracture. CONCLUSIONS: Labour augmentation and actual birth weight higher than 4000 g were identified as risk factors for clavicle fracture in cases of brachial plexus injury.

Intrapartum, postpartum characteristics and early neonatal outcomes of idiopathic polyhydramnios.

This paper investigates the effect of idiopathic polyhydramnios on the intrapartum and postpartum characteristics of labour and early neonatal outcomes. In this study, intrapartum and early neonatal outcomes of 207 women with idiopathic polyhydramnios and 336 matched healthy pregnant patients were evaluated. In the case of idiopathic polyhydramnios, the active phase of labour became longer when compared to the control group (5.76 ± 3.56 h vs. 4.38 ± 2.8 h, p: 001). The risk of preterm birth (OR 5.23; 95% CI: 2.04-13.42) and caesarean section (OR 2.26; 95% CI: 1.56-3.28) was higher in women with IP. Patients with IP had a higher rate of transcient tachypnoea of the newborn (TTN), newborn resuscitation, admission to neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), ventilator requirement, newborn jaundice, newborn hypoglycaemia and structural anomalies. IP did not cause any appreciable maternal risk during the intrapartum or postpartum periods. However, neonatal morbidity and post-natal anomaly rates were higher in the case of IP.