Extremely preterm and very preterm infants delivered via classical caesarean section are at no greater risk of complications than those delivered by the low transverse incision, Australian doctors report.

The Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital team found no difference in the likelihood of sepsis, need for resuscitation and neonatal death after adjusting for low birthweight and early gestational age.

The risk of adverse maternal outcomes such as postpartum haemorrhage and ICU admission were also insignificant when comparing caesarean techniques.

“The type of uterine incision performed is therefore unlikely to be an important determinant of short-term neonatal health compared to well-established drivers of birth condition such as gestational age and fetal size,” the authors wrote.