Definition
The breech presentation describes the position of the child in the woman’s uterus shortly before birth. If the unborn child does not turn correctly, the pelvis or buttocks of the child point downwards. In this case, this is called the breech presentation.
As a rule, the baby turns its head downwards at the end of the pregnancy. This is why the breech presentation is an anomaly, i.e. a deviation from the normal position. About 10% of babies do not lie correctly in the mother’s stomach.
There are different types of breech presentation. The most common type is the breech presentation. Both legs are turned up like a jackknife. In the breech-foot position, both legs are crouched. Furthermore there are mixed forms like knee position, foot position or only one leg turned up.
Causes
There are several reasons why the baby has not turned at the end of the pregnancy and is lying in the pelvic floor. In half of the cases the cause cannot be clarified. End-of-the-pelvis births often occur in women who are giving birth for the first time.
A study has also shown that women who have themselves been born in the breech presentation are about twice as likely to give birth to a baby in the breech presentation than other women. However, there are also reasons on the part of the child that can cause a breech presentation. Babies born prematurely often have not yet turned their head down and are then born in the breech presentation.
In the case of twins, one or both of them may also be born with their bottom down, as they often have no room to turn. If there is too much amniotic fluid (polyhydramnion), the baby can still move a lot until shortly before birth and sometimes does not turn upside down. However, too little amniotic fluid (oligohydramnios) can also mean that the baby has too little room to turn.
Other causes are malformations, deviation of the head shape, umbilical cord wrapping or too short umbilical cord and placental anomalies. However, pelvic tumours, myomas of the uterus or certain pelvic shapes of the mother can also lead to a pelvic end position. It is assumed that increased psychological and physical stress can lead to increased stress and thus to a pelvic end position.
However, this has not yet been proven. However, it is advisable for women to take more frequent breaks during pregnancy. Work can also suddenly become stressful during pregnancy, so the workload should be reduced somewhat. In addition, pregnant women are advised to do more relaxation exercises, for example in the form of light yoga, in order to recover.
