ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: Delivery mode of term breech presentation is still being discussed. The aim of this study was to compare the labor management of a breech presentation to a vertex presentation during a vaginal delivery attempt. METHODS: It was a single-center, comparative, descriptive retrospective study from 2014 to 2017. We studied fetal heart rate (FHR) during labor and expulsion, duration of the different stage of labor, mode of delivery and neonatal outcomes for breech and vertex presentations. RESULTS: Two hundred and thirty-nine patients were included whom 106 (44%) breech presentation. The use of oxytocin was more common in breech group (63,2% versus 48,1%, P=0.020). Average dilatation rate was slower for breech presentation than for vertex presentation (1.9cm/h vs. 2.8cm/h; P=0.005). There was more FHR with high risk of acidosis in the breech presentations (37.2% vs 19.1%, P=0.001) and Melchior's FHR classification were comparable in both groups. CONCLUSIONS: The per-partum management of a fetus in breech presentation differs from a fetus in cephalic presentation. It must be known and anticipated for an optimal management in the delivery room.
