Objective: Clinical evaluation of a standard vacuum delivery device and „hand-pump“ vacuum delivery device. Design: Retrospective clinical study. Setting: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, City Hospital, Litoměřice. Methods: In the period between January 1993 and the end of December 2003 there were 81 deliveries by vacuum at our department, 55 of which (67.90%) were with standard vacuum delivery device and 26 (32.10%) with „hand-pump“ vacuum delivery device. We evaluated the differences in the following parameters: 1. basic characteristics – maternal age, parity, gestational age, birth weight and type of labor, 2. early maternal morbidity – the presence of episiotomy, perineal and vaginal tears, blood loss, the need of blood transfusion, duration of hospitalization and postpartum incontinentia urinae and alvi, 3. early neonatal morbidity – pH a. umbilicalis, Apgar score and the presence of newborn‘s trauma. The differences found in individual groups were then used for statistics and evaluated. Results: In comparison with standard vacuum delivery device the usage of „hand-pump“ vacuum delivery device appears to be more convenient for its signifi cantly higher reliability, especially due to construction and also for its favourable features at early neonatal morbidity. Conclusion: We have proved that the „hand-pump“ vacuum delivery device is in comparison with standard vacuum delivery device more favourable with newborns and more convenient to use for its high reliability.

        Key words: standard and „hand-pump“ vacuum delivery device, early maternal and neonatal morbidity.