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BIG SKY, MONT. -- Consider a postmortem cesarean section only if the procedure can be initiated within 4 minutes of maternal cardiac arrest, Dr. Arthur S. Maslow urged at a meeting on ob.gyn., gynecologic oncology, and reproductive endocrinology.
The 4-minute mark is the point at which brain damage occurs to both mother and fetus. After that, there is no longer a reasonable expectation of delivering a baby who is free of significant neurologic compromise, said Dr. Maslow, director of maternal and fetal medicine at the Geisinger Health System in Danville. Pa., which sponsored the meeting.
"This is what I tell all the EMTs, and I'll tell you: If you're not sure [the mother] has been dead less than 4 minutes, don't do [the C-section]. It's not worth it. You will get much more hassle doing it than ...