Dangers
A breech presentation carries risks for mother and foetus:
Maternal dangers:
- trauma
- infection
- haemorrhage
- lower segment caesarian section
- anaesthesia
Foetal dangers:
- trauma
- asphyxia
- death
The rate of cord prolapse with breech presentations is approximately 4%. The major contributor to this figure is the increased incidence of cord prolapse with flexed and footling breeches. The rate of cord prolapse with extended breech presentations is similar to that seen with vertex presentations (approximately 0.3%).
The perinatal mortality rate for breech presentations is 4-7 times higher than for cephalic presentations.
Reference
- Gunay T et al; Comparison of maternal and fetal complications in pregnant women with breech presentation undergoing spontaneous or induced vaginal delivery, or cesarean delivery. Taiwan J Obstet Gynecol. 2020 May;59(3):392-397.
Related pages
Create an account to add page annotations
Annotations allow you to add information to this page that would be handy to have on hand during a consultation. E.g. a website or number. This information will always show when you visit this page.