Type of breech presentation and prognosis for delivery

Background: Although its role in the prognosis for delivery remains controversial, the type of breech is sometimes taken into account in the decision about mode of delivery. Objective of our study was to compare maternal and neonatal morbidity for trial of vaginal delivery according to the type of breech (complete or frank).

Material and method: Single-center retrospective study of women with trials of vaginal delivery of a singleton fetus in breech presentation at of after 37 weeks of gestation. Neonatal status was assessed by the composite variable of the Term Breech Trial, first considered alone, and then with the addition of a 5-min Apgar score < 7 or a neonatal arterial pH<7.0.

Results: Of the 495 trials of vaginal delivery during the study period, approximately one third of them were complete breech (35.8 %) and two thirds frank (64.2 %). The frequency of cesareans during labor was similar regardless of the type of breech (16.4 for complete vs 12.6 % for frank, p=0.24), nor did neonatal morbidity differ (1.7 for complete vs 4.1 % for frank, p=0.15). On the other hand, cord prolapse occurred almost exclusively in complete breech presentations (4.5 vs 0.3 %, p<0.01), and prognosis was good in all cases. Complete breech presentations were also associated with more frequent use of forceps to the after-coming head (16.2 vs 9.7 %, p<0.05). Finally, there were non significant difference between the two types of breech concerning severe acidosis but it seemed to have it more in frank breech (2.3 vs 1.2 %, p=0.34).

Conclusion: Among women eligible for vaginal delivery, the type of breech presentation (complete or frank) has little influence on delivery maternal and neonatal morbidity. The type of breech need not be taken into account in deciding the route of delivery.