Fetal Problems in Breech Position
The vast majority of
breech position newborns are
normal at birth. But fetal abnormalities are more common
in breech newborns than in newborns
delivered in the head-down position.
There is often no clear reason why the baby did not turn head-down. But experts
have noted that some fetal conditions, such as neurological and muscular
problems, are linked to breech birth. Such conditions are thought to make a
fetus less able to turn to the head-down vertex position before birth.1
Fetal problems most commonly seen in breech infants born at full
term include:2
Many of these conditions can be detected by tests early in
pregnancy.
Citations
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Cunningham FG, et al. (2010). Breech presentation and delivery. In Williams Obstetrics, 23rd ed., pp. 527–543. New York: McGraw-Hill.
-
Klatt TE, Cruikshank DP (2008). Breech, other malpresentations,
and umbilical cord complications. In RS Gibbs et al., eds., Danforth's Obstetrics and Gynecology, 10th ed., pp. 400–416. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams and Wilkins.
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By
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Healthwise Staff |
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Primary Medical Reviewer
|
Sarah Marshall, MD - Family Medicine |
|
Specialist Medical Reviewer
|
William Gilbert, MD - Maternal and Fetal Medicine |
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Last Revised
|
July 25, 2011 |
Last Revised:
July 25, 2011
Cunningham FG, et al. (2010). Breech presentation and delivery. In Williams Obstetrics, 23rd ed., pp. 527–543. New York: McGraw-Hill.
Klatt TE, Cruikshank DP (2008). Breech, other malpresentations,
and umbilical cord complications. In RS Gibbs et al., eds., Danforth's Obstetrics and Gynecology, 10th ed., pp. 400–416. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams and Wilkins.