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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

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