Kielland's rotational forceps delivery: comparison of maternal and neonatal outcomes with pregnancies delivering by non-rotational forceps

We compared complications in pregnancies that had Kielland's rotational forceps delivery (KRFD) with non-rotational forceps delivery (NRFD). Maternal outcomes included post-partum haemorrhage (PPH) and obstetric anal sphincter injury (OASIS); neonatal outcomes included admission to neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), 5-minute Apgar scores <7, hypoxic ischaemic encephalopathy (HIE), jaundice, shoulder dystocia and birth trauma. The study population included 491 (2.1%) requiring KRFD, 1,257 (5.3%) requiring NRFD and 22,111 (93.0%) that had SVD. In pregnancies with NRFD compared to KRFD, there was higher incidence of OASIS (8.5% vs. 4.7%; p = .006) and a non-significant increased trend for PPH (15.0% vs. 12.4%; p = .173). There was no significant difference in rates of admission to NICU (p = .628), 5-minute Apgar score <7 (p = .375), HIE (p = .532), jaundice (p = .809), severe shoulder dystocia (p = .507) or birth trauma (p = .514). Our study demonstrates that KRFD has lower rates of maternal complications compared to NRFD whilst the rates of neonatal complications are similar.IMPACT STATEMENT What is already known on this subject? Kielland's rotational forceps is used for achieving vaginal delivery in pregnancies with failure to progress in second stage of labour secondary to fetal malposition. The use of Kielland's forceps has significantly declined in the last few decades due to concerns about an increased risk of maternal and neonatal complications, despite the absence of any major studies demonstrating this increased risk. What do the results of this study add? There are some studies which compare the risks in pregnancies delivering by Kiellands forceps with rotational ventouse deliveries but there is limited evidence comparing the risks of rotational with non-rotational forceps deliveries. Our study compares the major maternal and neonatal complications in a large cohort of pregnancies undergoing rotational vs. non-rotational forceps deliveries. What are the implications of these findings for clinical practice and/or further research? The results of our study demonstrate that maternal and neonatal complications in pregnancies delivering by Kielland's rotational forceps undertaken by appropriately trained obstetricians are either lower or similar to those delivering by non-rotational forceps. Consideration should be given to ensure that there is appropriate training provided to obstetricians to acquire skills in using Kielland's forceps.