NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Elective cesarean delivery before week 39 of gestation is associated with an increased risk of neonatal pneumothorax, according to a report in the March issue of The Journal of Pediatrics.

Dr. Vincenzo Zanardo from Padua University School of Medicine, Italy, and colleagues investigated the incidence of pneumothorax in infants who were electively delivered between 37 and 41 weeks gestation.

Neonates delivered by elective cesarean section showed a higher incidence of pneumothorax (2.9 of 1000 births) than did infants delivered by emergency cesarean section (1.53 of 1000 births ) or by vaginal delivery (0.39 of 1000 births), the authors report.

The incidence of pneumothorax after elective cesarean section declined progressively from week 37 through week 38 of gestation, the results indicate. There was a similar trend for vaginal delivery but not for emergency cesarean section, the researchers note.

The author's conclude that "there is a definite benefit on neonatal respiratory outcome to be obtained by better selection of mothers and by waiting until week 39...before performing elective cesarean section," the authors conclude.

Dr. Zanardo recommends that this information be incorporated into any informed consent discussion with women considering elective cesarean delivery and its timing.