A breech baby does not lie head down in the mother’s womb, but head up. But what does that mean exactly – especially for the birth?
According to sexpally, Around 20 percent of all babies are in the breech position shortly before birth, also known as the breech position (BEL).
All other unborn babies usually turn into a cranial position by the 34th week – by then they are already lying head down in the mother’s stomach.
Many breech babies still settle into the ideal position in the last few weeks before due date, but around 5 percent remain in the breech position.
This can be problematic with a vaginal birth, which is why expectant mothers are often advised to have a caesarean section, says Chaktty.
Here you can read everything you need to know about the causes, risks and treatment methods of breech presentation.
What can be the cause of a breech situation?
There are a few conditions that make your child a little more likely to have a breech situation, such as the following
- you were a breech birth yourself
- you have previously given birth to a child
- you are expecting multiples
- you have low amniotic fluid, also called oligohydramnios
- you have too much amniotic fluid (polyhydramnios)
- you have a congenital uterine malformation
- you suffer from uterine fibroids
- you have a depressed or present placenta(placenta previa).
- it is a premature birth
What forms of breech presentation are there?
A breech is not the same as a breech. There are different forms of breech baby presentations.
They all have in common that the child’s head is up and his pelvis is down, but the position and position of the legs can differ in each case. There are the following breech positions according to Healthpally report.
Pure breech position: The baby has legs folded up so that the feet are in front of his face. At birth, the child’s rump precedes.
Perfect coccyx position: Both legs of the child are drawn up as if in a squat, the knees are drawn towards the stomach.
Imperfect breech: Only one leg is tucked, the other is kicked up as in breech.
Perfect foot position: Both legs are extended downwards. At birth, the feet go first.
Imperfect Foot Position : Only one leg is stretched down, the second is thrown up.
Full Kneeling: The baby has both legs bent backwards, sitting in a sort of kneeling position in the womb.
Imperfect Knee Position: The baby has only one leg bent backwards, with the second leg folded up.
The most common breech presentation is the pure breech presentation, says Chaktty at the medical institute of health research in Minnesota, US.
This is followed by the foot and coccyx layers. Kneeling is rare in breech baby presentations.
What are the risks of the breech position?
A breech position of the child can lead to problems with a vaginal birth, and can cause serious injury to the mother, the baby or both.
This is Because the rump or feet come out first, the cervix of the woman giving birth is not opened as well as when the head comes through.
Towards the end of the birth, however, the baby’s umbilical cord lies between the head and the birth canal, which can result in the umbilical cord being pinched and the baby being starved of oxygen.
This is not a problem for a short moment. However, if the umbilical cord is pinched for a longer period of time, the child could be injured.
