labour_breech
ED Mx of emergency breech delivery
see also labour
breech position:
- 3-4% of all deliveries (7% of 32wk & 25% of 28wk deliveries)
- factors associated:
- polyhydramnios, oligohydramnios, hydrocephalus, previous breech, pelvic tumours, uterine anomalies
- 3-4x perinatal mortality & morbidity despite current 90% C.S. rate for persistent breech:
- congenital anomalies (2-3x risk)
- birth trauma mainly due to head entrapment in partially dilated Cx
- fetal position denoted by position of sacrum in relation to maternal abdomen
types:
- frank breech: hips & knees extended (0.5% cord prolapse rate)
- complete breech: hips & knees flexed (4-6% cord prolapse rate)
- footling breech: one hip partly extended & knees flexed (15-18% cord prolapse rate)
breech delivery procedure:
- as long as the baby is coming out with their stomach facing the mother's buttock, the baby should deliver itself - DO NOT TOUCH the baby until head is delivered OR there is delay to delivery of the head of more than 6 minutes from the time buttocks is visible or more than 4 minutes from time umbilicus is visible
- touching the baby prematurely may stimulate respirations causing meconium aspiration
- putting traction on the baby during delivery can cause the fetal head to extend, getting it trapped during delivery
- breeches are generally delivered easiest with mother on all fours however if mother prefers other positions then allow that
as fetal breech becomes visible through introitus:
- avoid premature outward traction on fetal feet or lower body until infant has delivered to level of umbilicus
- the fetal head must be in flexed position for delivery and premature traction may put it into extension
if there is delay, proceed with active delivery:
- flexing the fetal knees to enable delivery of the legs
- Lovsett’s manoeuvre to rotate the body and deliver the shoulders
- use finger to deliver right arm
- rotate fetus 180deg & repeat to deliver left arm
- Mauriceau-Smellie-Veit (MSV) manoeuvre to deliver the head by flexion
- rotate to sacrum anterior & flex head by 2 fingers applied to maxilla via hand underneath fetus, keeping body parallel to floor, whilst 2 fingers of other hand hook along nape of neck
labour_breech.txt · Last modified: 2023/06/01 14:23 by gary1