The effect of forceps delivery on cognitive development.
OBJECTIVE: We evaluated the influence of forceps delivery on cognitive development of preschool children. STUDY DESIGN: A cohort of 3413 children who were born at the Kaiser Permanente Medical Center in Oakland, California, were selected at age 5 for intelligence quotient testing with the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test and the Raven Coloured Progressive Matrices. Data were analyzed by means of the Student t test to compare mean intelligence quotient scores of intervention modes of delivery with spontaneous delivery. RESULTS: No significant difference in intelligence quotient was seen in 1192 children delivered by forceps (114 midforceps) compared with 1499 who were delivered spontaneously. CONCLUSION: The association of forceps delivery with adverse cognitive development cannot be supported.