Breech birth

Question 1

What are the 3 types of breech?

Answer 1

Complete breech: baby’s bum down and limbs are together
Frank breech: legs stretched out towards the head
Footling breech: legs come out before bum

Question 2

How common is breech at full term?

Answer 2

Only 3%

Question 3

Why is it important for a breech birth to be hand off?

Answer 3

Because the Moro reflex means that when the baby is startled, their arms will go up that is a problem because their arms are last to come out

But there is a time-limit to hands off because there is cord compression the entire delivery in breech birth because the cord come out before the head

Question 4

What causes breech birth?

Answer 4

Multiple baby (less muscle tone)
Prematurity (more room to move around)
Pelvis structure
Uterine anomalies
Foetal muscular disorders or tumours

Question 5

Why is there a higher risk for cord prolapse with a Footling breech?

Answer 5

Because there isn’t a nice clean plug to keep cord inside like other breech so the cord can fall out more easily

Footling breech often needs C-section because of the risk of cord compression

Question 6

When is the shoulder manoeuvre done during birth?

Answer 6

During a breech birth where the head isn’t coming out fast enough

You would press on the clavicles to force flexion and allow the head to come out