Abstract
Birth injury is defined as any condition that affects the fetus adversely during the labor or delivery. Clavicle fracture during the delivery can be found in 0.49-0.95% if all living newborns. The objectives of this study were to identify and prevent the contribution facture during delivery. We obtained 98 patients of the clavicle fracture among the 13,698 neonates delivered at P.M.C from March. 1991 to Feb. 1994. We analysed the 98 patients of the clavicle fracture with 857 control group according to neonatal factors, maternal factors and methods of delivery. The results were as follows ; 1. Of all the cases of the clavicle fracture, the site of the fracture was middle 1/3 of the clavicle and majority of the fracture were displaced(82.5%). 2. Birth injuries which were associated with clavicle fracture were increased than those without clavicle fracture in brachial plexus injuries, scalp and intracranial hemorrhage, and skull fracture. 3. Contributing factors which were increased the fracture of the clavicle during the delivery were as follows; i) Maternal age over 37 years and below 24 years. ii) Gestational age over 40 weeks (especially over 42 weeks) iii) Birth weight over 3500kg. 4. The proportion of the vacuum extraction during the delivery was nearly double times in patient group than in control group.