Breech delivery at term: do the perinatal results justify a trial of labour?

Abstract

Summary This is a retrospective study conducted at Princess Badee'a Teaching Hospital in North Jordan to compare neonatal loss and morbidity in term singleton breech infants delivered either vaginally or by caesarean section. In this study, all singleton term breech presentation at 37 completed weeks' gestation were reviewed. Three hundred and eight singleton term babies, presenting by the breech were studied. Intrapartum deaths, neonatal deaths and Apgar scores in vaginal and caesarean delivery were compared. After exclusion of infants with lethal congenital malformations and antenatal stillbirths, the incidence of intrapartum and neonatal deaths associated with vaginal births was 3.5% compared with 1.3% in infants born abdominally. The number of low Apgar scores were similar in both groups. We concluded that caesarean section for term singleton breech presentation is associated with good neonatal outcome and this may influence the decision of obstetricians about the mode of delivery.