A birth in which the fetus presents buttocks first.
Many fetuses lie in a breech position before week 32 of pregnancy, but most of them turn by week 36.
The 3 per cent that do not turn are in 1 of 3 types of breech presentation.
A complete breech is one in which the fetus is curled up.
In a frank breech, the legs are extended and the feet are close to the face.
In a footling breech, 1 or both feet are positioned over the cervix.
Sometimes, a mother with a fetus in a breech presentation is offered a procedure to turn the fetus around after week 36 of pregnancy.
Often, one twin fetus is a breech.
In some breech deliveries, a Caesarean section may be recommended.
By the 32nd week of pregnancy most babies are in a head-down position in the womb. Up to 4 per cent of them, however, have their buttocks (breech) presenting at the neck of the womb. If the baby is still a breech presentation at the 34th to 35th week the obstetrician may, by external manipulation, try to turn it to the head-down position. If this is not successful, the fetus is left in the breech position. Breech deliveries are more di?cult for mother and baby because the buttocks are less e?cient than the head at dilating the cervix and vagina. An EPISIOTOMY is usually necessary to assist delivery, and obstetric FORCEPS may also have to be applied to the baby’s head. If the infant and/or the mother become unduly distressed, the obstetrician may decide to deliver the baby by CAESAREAN SECTION; some obstetricians prefer to deliver most breech-presentation babies using this method. (See PREGNANCY AND LABOUR.)... breech presentation
Health Encyclopedia