The baby’s body may not stretch the cervix enough to allow room for the baby’s head to come out easily. There is a risk that the baby’s head or shoulders may become wedged against the bones of the mother’s pelvis. Another problem that can happen during a vaginal breech birth is a prolapsed umbilical cord.
What is a breech presentation and why is it a complication?
A major complication of breech presentation is cord prolapse (where the umbilical cord drops down below the presenting part of the baby, and becomes compressed). The incidence of cord prolapse is 1% in breech presentations, compared to 0.5% in cephalic presentations. Other complications include: Fetal head entrapment.
Why is breech a complication?
When the breech baby’s pelvis or hips deliver first, the woman’s pelvis may not be large enough for the head to be delivered also. This can result in a baby getting stuck in the birth canal, which can cause injury or death. The umbilical cord may also be damaged or blocked. This can reduce the baby’s oxygen supply.
What complications do breech babies have?
The risk of injury to the baby is higher when the baby is breech compared to when the baby is not breech. Preemies are more likely to injure their head and skull. Bruising, broken bones and dislocated joints can also occur depending on the baby’s position during birth.
Can a breech presentation mean something is wrong?
Can a breech presentation mean something is wrong? Even though most breech babies are born healthy, there is a slightly elevated risk for certain problems. Birth defects are slightly more common in breech babies and the defect might be the reason that the baby failed to move into the right position prior to delivery.
Can the breech position change?
The ideal position for birth is head-first. Most babies that are breech will naturally turn by about 36 to 37 weeks so that their head is facing downwards in preparation for birth, but sometimes this does not happen. Around three to four babies in every 100 remain breech.
Do breech babies come sooner?
Most babies move into the normal, head-down position in the mother’s uterus a few weeks before birth. But if this doesn’t happen, the baby’s buttocks, or buttocks and feet, will be in place to come out first during birth.
Are breech babies lucky?
Most babies have gone head down by now. If you find out your baby is breech at 34 weeks, you are lucky because you have some time to work to flip him/her. All the things we do to help babies turn work better before 36 or 37 weeks.
How can I fix my breech position?
External cephalic version (ECV) ECV is one way to turn a baby from breech position to head down position while it’s still in the uterus. It involves the doctor applying pressure to your stomach to turn the baby from the outside. Sometimes, they use ultrasound as well.
Are breech babies more painful to carry?
Giving birth to a breech baby vaginally is not usually any more painful than a head-down position, as you’ll have the same pain relief options available to you, although it does carry a higher risk of perinatal morbidity (2:1000 compared to 1:1000 with a cephalic baby).
Do breech babies have autism?
Difficult spot: Babies in the breech position at birth are at increased risk of autism. Certain complications during pregnancy or delivery increase the chances of having a child with autism by 26 percent or more, according to a study of more than 400,000 mother-child pairs1.
Are breech babies always delivered by C section?
This is the normal and safest fetal position for birth. But in about 4 out of 100 births, the baby doesn’t naturally turn head-down. Instead, the baby is in a breech position. Babies in breech position usually must be delivered by C-section.
Does breech affect baby?
In general, breech pregnancies aren’t dangerous until it’s time for the baby to be born. With breech deliveries, there is a higher risk for the baby to get stuck in the birth canal and for the baby’s oxygen supply through the umbilical cord to get cut off.
What causes babies to be breech?
What causes breech position? Most of the time, there is no clear reason why the baby did not turn head-down. In some cases, breech position may be linked to early labor, twins or more, problems with the uterus, or problems with the baby.
What are the signs of a breech baby?
How can you tell if your baby is in a breech position? As your due date nears, your doctor or midwife will determine your baby’s position by feeling the outside of your abdomen and uterus. If your baby is breech, her firm, round head will be toward the top of your uterus and her softer, less round bottom will be lower.
What does it feel like when breech baby turns?
If your baby is in breech position, you may feel her kicking in your lower belly. Or you may feel pressure under your ribcage, from her head.
Are breech babies boy or girl?
Boys are little more common than girls in head presentation in the higher weight groups, in breech presentation in the upper and lower weight groups, while girls predominate in the middle weight groups. The absolute size of the middle weight groups in breech presentation causes the small excess of girls.
Can breech baby break your water?
It is important to go in right away if you have a breech baby and your bag of water breaks. This is because there is a higher chance that the cord will come out even before you are in labor. This can be very dangerous for the baby.
Is breech at 30 weeks normal?
In fact, your chances of having a breech baby decrease with each passing week. While about 30 per cent of babies are breech at 30-32 weeks, only 3 per cent are still breech at term (37 weeks), says OB-GYN Ellen Giesbrecht, a doctor at BC Women’s Hospital in Vancouver.