Maternal and neonatal outcomes of vacuum-assisted fetal extraction: A retrospective study
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.37800/RM.2.2026.704Keywords:
vacuum extraction of fetus, operative vaginal delivery, maternal outcomes, neonatal outcomes, obstetric interventionsAbstract
Relevance: According to PubMed data, the frequency of vacuum-assisted delivery in developed countries ranges from 5% to 15%. Recommendations from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists emphasize that vacuum-assisted delivery is a safe alternative to cesarean section when appropriate indications are present.
The study aimed to assess maternal and neonatal outcomes of vacuum-assisted fetal extraction in clinical practice in 2025.
Materials and Methods: A retrospective study of 30 cases of vacuum-assisted fetal extraction performed in 2025 was conducted. Maternal outcomes (blood loss, perineal tears) and neonatal outcomes (Apgar scores at 1 and 5 minutes) were analyzed. Descriptive statistical methods were applied.
Results: The mean Apgar score was 6.9 ± 0.8 at 1 minute and 8.4 ± 0.6 at 5 minutes. An Apgar score ≥7 at 5 minutes was observed in 28 newborns (93.3%). Mean blood loss was 340 ± 65 mL. Grade I-II perineal tears were identified in 18 patients (60%), grade III tears in 2 patients (6.7%), while grade IV tears were not observed. No severe neonatal complications were recorded.
Conclusion: Vacuum-assisted fetal extraction demonstrated satisfactory maternal and neonatal outcomes and may be considered a safe method of operative vaginal delivery when appropriate indications are strictly followed.
References
1. Tsakiridis I, Giouleka S, Mamopoulos A, Athanasiadis A, Daniilidis A, Dagklis T. Operative vaginal delivery: a review of four national guidelines. J Perinat Med. 2020 Mar 26;48(3):189-198.
https://doi.org/10.1515/jpm-2019-0433
2. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Operative Vaginal Birth: ACOG Practice Bulletin, Number 219. Obstet Gynecol. 2020;135(4):e149-e159.
https://doi.org/10.1097/aog.0000000000003764
3. Murphy DJ, Strachan BK, Bahl R, on behalf of the Royal College of Obstetricians Gynaecologists. Assisted Vaginal Birth. BJOG. 2020;127:e70-e112.
https://doi.org/10.1111/1471-0528.16092
4. Salman L, Aviram A, Krispin E, Wiznitzer A, Chen R, Gabbay-Benziv R. Adverse neonatal and maternal outcome following vacuum-assisted vaginal delivery: does indication matter? Arch Gynecol Obstet. 2017;295(5):1145-1150. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00404-017-4339-3
5. Abbas RA, Qadi YH, Bukhari R, Shams T. Maternal and neonatal complications resulting from vacuum-assisted and normal vaginal deliveries. Cureus. 2021;13(5):e14962.
https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.14962
6. Ghosh S, Biswas PK, Mani M, Chaudhuri S, De NK. A comparative study of neonatal and maternal outcome between forceps delivery and vacuum extraction. Int J Reprod Contracept Obstet Gynecol. 2023;12(11):3232-3236.
https://doi.org/10.18203/2320-1770.ijrcog20233150
7. Gaur R, Thakur K, Kaur N, Kumar R, Patidar V, Rai P. Efficacy of obstetric forceps and vacuum extractor to assist during vaginal delivery: systematic review and meta-analysis. Rev Bras Ginecol Obstet. 2025 Oct 21;47:e-rbgo67.
https://doi.org/10.61622/rbgo/2025rbgo67
8. Demissie K, Rhoads GG, Smulian JC, Balasubramanian BA, Gandhi K, Joseph KS, Kramer M. Operative vaginal delivery and neonatal and infant adverse outcomes: population based retrospective analysis. BMJ. 2004 Jul 3;329(7456):24-9.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 А.Ж. Бейсембаева , А.С. Тлеуова, К.К. Байтасова, Ғ. Ақжол, Ж.Т. Амирбекова
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
The articles published in this Journal are licensed under the CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 (Creative Commons Attribution – Non-Commercial – No Derivatives 4.0 International) license, which provides for their non-commercial use only. Under this license, users have the right to copy and distribute the material in copyright but are not permitted to modify or use it for commercial purposes. Full details on the licensing are available at https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/.
