A recent study found that 61% of patients with congenital nasolacrimal duct obstruction (CNLDO) were delivered through Cesarean section. Among full-term babies, there was 55% greater risk of this condition delivered this way compared to all other babies.

Researchers investigated the relationship between occurrence of CNLDO, delivery mode and treatment results. The retrospective review analyzed medical records of 104 children diagnosed with CNLDO. No significantly greater odds of CNLDO were seen for Cesarean section compared with vaginal births among preterm babies.

The study also found that CNLDO did not resolve spontaneously in 50 patients, including 37 delivered through a Cesarean section and 13 delivered vaginally.

Among patients who failed first-line probing, 86.2% were born via Cesarean section, whereas 13.8% were born via vaginal delivery.

Researchers concluded that delivery through the Cesarean section was associated with a higher incidence of CNLDO and a more complicated prognosis that required additional surgical interventions to treat the condition.