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Pregnancy Today's Health Advisory Panel Answers:
When a baby is breech, does it always mean something is wrong?

by David L Fay, MD
Family Physician

Christie Clinic Association
Champaign, IL
David L Fay, MD

Question

I just found out today that my baby is in the breech position. When I came home, I looked up breech in one of my pregnancy books and it said that usually there is a reason that the baby is breech (congenital failure or low birth weight, for example). When a baby is breech, does it always mean that something is wrong?

Answer

Absolutely not. First of all, it is very common for babies to be in the breech position prior to 28 weeks gestation. In fact, about 7% of babies are in breech position at 32 weeks gestation, but only about 3% go into labor that way.

There are some uncommon birth defects which can cause breech presentations, but more frequently it is idiopathic (meaning nothing wrong), or due to obstructions in the uterus like fibroids or the placenta getting in the way.

Breech presentations come in three types: frank breech (legs straight up toward the head); complete breech (legs folded); and incomplete, or footling (like a complete, but with a foot leading the way). While all could potentially be delivered vaginally, the frank breech is the safest to deliver that way.

Many times an external cephalic version (ECV) can be attempted at 36-38 weeks gestational age. This is a procedure where the mother is mildly sedated and an attempt is made to turn the baby by pushing on the mother's abdomen. This is successful 70-80% of the time, but runs the risk of causing fetal distress and a possible cesarean section.

Babies who are delivered after a breech presentation should have their hips checked carefully for potential hip dislocation.

This Week's Expert Q & A

Kathy Loebel, certified nurse-midwife, answers: “How can I avoid an episiotomy or tearing?"

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