Vaginale Geburt – Vor- und Nachteile für Mutter und Kind

The preservation and promotion of the health of mother and child are key aspects of the accompaniment around the birth. Interventions, such as a cesarean section should only be performed if well founded. In this scoping review the potential advantages and disadvantages of spontaneous vaginal birth are summarized from the perspectives of the mother and the infant. The epidemiology of the cesarean section, the surgical risks and the specific complications including uterus rupture as well as placenta accreta spectrum are discussed as well as the importance of the mode of birth for the function of the pelvic floor, infection rate and birth experience. The indications for a cesarean section are evaluated from the perspective of the child, including a differentiated approach with respect to preterm delivery, which should target the best possible starting conditions for the neonate. As a cesarean delivery is associated with increased life-time risk of the child for inflammatory diseases, the beneficial modulation of the microbiome-immune interaction could play a future role for preventive strategies.