19th March 2024
Health

Breech Baby- Causes, Complications and Turning

Has your gynecologist told you that your baby in is a breech position and you are concerned about it? Are you scared of it? The good news is that having a breech baby is manageable and is not problematic nowadays as your healthcare providers can manage it. Generally, when the baby is ready to come out of the birth canal, it comes head first. But in breech position in gets ready for delivery in the position being feet first, which makes it difficult to deliver.

Breech babies can be complicated to deliver if done vaginally. Your healthcare provider can only tell about the breech position of your baby when the due date is near. They can not tell it earlier as your baby keeps changing the position. If your baby has a breech position just before the due date, you need to discuss your case with a gynecologist. For that, you can visit the best gynecologist in Lahore.

Types of the breech baby

According to the position of the baby, the breech position of the baby can be classified into three types;

Frank breech position- also known as extended breech, is a breech position in which the bottom of the baby is down, but his legs are straight up with his feet near his head.

Complete breech- a breech position in which the bottom of the baby is down, but the knees are also bent, so the feet are also down near the buttocks.

Incomplete breech- also known as footling breech, it is a breech position in which when the legs of the baby are extended and facing straight down.

Causes of a breech baby

The healthcare provider can not exactly figure out what is the cause for the breech position. But the following reasons can be one of the causes;

  • Having several pregnancies 
  • If the baby is more than one like twins or triplets
  • If a woman has given birth to a premature baby in the past 
  • If the uterus has too much amniotic fluid 
  • If the uterus has too little amniotic fluid 
  • When the baby has no extra room to move or not enough fluid to move
  • If a woman has an abnormally shaped uterus 
  • Having fibroids in the uterus 
  • If the woman has placenta previa 

How to know if the baby is breech?

In normal pregnancies, the baby turns head down in a position to come out of the birth canal sometime before the due date. But if due to some reason it does not turn into the right position which is head down, even after 36 weeks, your baby will be considered a breech baby. Your doctor can tell about the position of the baby by checking through an ultrasound scan or pelvic examination.

Outlook

The most practical way to get the breech baby out of the uterus is getting a cesarean section done. Other ways that are used to turn the baby are a bit risky and need to be done in the hospital environment. If you are pregnant and near the due date, you must visit a healthcare provider for a follow-up visit. For that, you can visit the best gynecologist in Islamabad.