Does cesarean section pose a risk of respiratory syncytial virus bronchiolitis in infants and children?

Mohamed A Hendaus; Ahmed H Alhammadi; Mohamed S Khalifa; Eshan Muneer

doi:10.1016/S1995-7645(14)60219-4

Does cesarean section pose a risk of respiratory syncytial virus bronchiolitis in infants and children?

Asian Pac J Trop Med. 2014 Sep:7S1:S134-6. doi: 10.1016/S1995-7645(14)60219-4.

Authors

Mohamed A Hendaus¹, Ahmed H Alhammadi², Mohamed S Khalifa³, Eshan Muneer³

Affiliations

¹ Department of Pediatrics, General Pediatrics Section, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar. Electronic address: mhendaus@yahoo.com.
² Department of Pediatrics, General Pediatrics Section, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar; Weil Cornell Medical College, Doha, Qatar.
³ Department of Pediatrics, General Pediatrics Section, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar.

PMID: 25312107
DOI: 10.1016/S1995-7645(14)60219-4

Abstract

Objective: To determine the risk of acquiring acute respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) bronchiolitis in infants and children delivered by the mode of cesarean section (C-section).

Methods: A retrospective and descriptive study was conducted at Hamad Medical Corporation. Patients with ages 0 to 36 months hospitalized with acute bronchiolitis were included in the study.

Results: The risk of RSV bronchiolitis was observed to be higher among C-section delivery compared to normal spontaneous vaginal delivery [odds ratio=1.10; 95% confidence interval (0.57, 1.80); P=0.965]; however, it was not statistically significant. Gestational age ≤35 weeks was significantly associated with increased risk of RSV bronchiolitis compared to gestational age >35 weeks [odds ratio=3.12; 95% confidence interval (1.53, 6.38); P=0.002].

Conclusions: Delivery by C-section does not appear to increase the risk of RSV bronchiolitis in infants compared with normal spontaneous vaginal delivery.

Keywords: Bronchiolitis; Delivery; Mode.