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Breech Baby
What Is The Normal Position Of A Baby In The Womb?
During the first and second trimester, the baby will resume turning and rotating in the womb. In the last trimester, the baby will have more of a difficult time when trying to rotate due to having less room in the womb.
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Usually around 32 week throughout the 38 week he will settle in his final position, which is head down. |
Breech Baby Definition
A breech birth is a birth of a baby from a breech presentation, in which the baby exits the pelvis with the buttocks or feet first as opposed to the normal head position down.
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If the baby does not turn and remains in a breech position, then it can cause certain complications and often requires a C-section. |
Types of Breech Presentation
The different types of breech presentation are classified into the following:
- Frank Breech: The extended breech also known as Frank Breech is the most common accounting for 85% of all breech babies. This type of breach the baby has his legs extended with his feet near the head. The bottom is top of the cervical opening.
- Complete Breech: The baby has his legs bended at the knees, in from of his chest. The bottom buttocks is positioned near the cervical opening.
- Footling Breech: The baby has his feet pointing downward been the first thing to come out during delivery.
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What Causes A Baby To Be Breech?
There are no exact causes for why a baby might be born in a breech position. However, here are some of the risk factors that play into your baby been in a breech position.
- Carrying twins
- Premature labor
- Uterine abnormality
- Muscular abnormalities
- Amniotic fluid levels
- Umbilical cord being shorter than normal
- Placental irregularities
Risk Factors
- History of premature labor
- Multiple pregnancies
- Being overweight
- Smoking
- History of breech baby
Are There Any Signs of A Breech Baby?
There are no signs for the mother to know if the baby it's in a breech position. At times, you might feel sharp kicks low in the belly area.
A routine cervical exam will diagnose if the baby is in a breech position.
How To Turn A Breech Baby?
Baby usually turn into proper position by their own by week 36th at the third trimester.
Things you can try to turn your baby yourself:
- Try the breech tilt
- Do the knee to chest exercise
- Do a forward leaning inversion
- Get in the pool
- Pay close attention to your posture
- Use hot and cold packs
- Use sound to encourage your baby to turn
- Look into moxibustion
- Schedule an EVC
- Consider a vaginal breech birth
- C-section delivery
When Are You More Likely To Have A C-Section?
- Expecting twins
- Previous pregnancy had a C-section
- Being diagnosed with Preeclampsia
- Baby weight over 8.13lb
- Baby with an estimated weight below 4.4lb
- Risk of having the umbilical cord around his neck
- Low-lying placenta
- Narrow pelvis
- Footling breech
Having A Breech Baby: Complications And Risk of Birth Defects
The ECV procedure has a risk of complications. The baby can get tangled in the umbilical cord. It can also cause the placenta being torn away from the uterine wall also known as placental abruption.
Many women experience these complications may lead to premature delivery or abnormalities in the heart rate. These complications will require an emergency C-section.
How Common Is It To Have A Breech Baby?
The baby fails to turn into proper head down birth position in around 3%-4%.
ICD-9 and ICD-10 Codes
The ICD-9 code used for
breech babies is 652.1, while its ICD-10 codes are O32.1, O64.1,
O80.1, O83.0, and P03.0.
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