The influence of the mode of anaesthesia in the incidence of neonatal morbidity after an elective caesarean section.

Purpose Of Investigation: We conducted a study of all the cases of elective caesarean section over a three-year period from 1 July 2001 to 30 June 2004, with the aim to compare general, epidural and spinal anaesthesia in respect to the incidence of neonatal respiratory morbidity.

Methods: It is an area-based retrospective study of all mothers who underwent elective caesarean section and delivered singleton infants at term gestation. Neonatal respiratory morbidity was recorded and compared between infants delivered with different anaesthetic techniques for caesarean section and those delivered vaginally.