There are many factors surrounding breech presentation. One of the most important, is that there is a risk of abnormalities when a baby stays in the breech position throughout the pregnancy. Babies that have nueromuscular disorders or physical disorders are more likely to be in the breech presentation. Premature babies are also more likely to be in this position. Because of this factor, breech presentation can make a normal vaginal delivery almost impossible, since the safety of the baby and it's condition is at risk.
When a baby is in the breech presentation during the end of the third trimester (36 weeks), some doctors will try a version in which they attempt to turn the baby physical by pushing on the mother's belly to encourage it to turn. This procedure is often done in the hospital, but is also often done at the OB's office. The risks of the version include ruptured membranes and fetal distress, both which could ultimately lead to an emergency Caesarean Section.
Another procedure, developed in China, is called moxibustion. Herbs are burnt around the acupuncture points on the mother's feet in order to stimulate the fetus to move into the correct position for birth.
The desired way to give birth is vaginally, but with a baby in breech presentation, this isn't always possible. Vaginal breech births aren't too commonplace today, but, upon meeting certain requirements, might be possible. Doctors who do attempt to delivery breech births vaginally will often do a CT to determine whether or not the pelvis is the right size. If the baby isn't too large for the pelvis, doctors, with previous breech birth experience, might attempt a vaginal birth.
For most though, a Caesarean Section is required for those mother's who have baby's in the breech presentation. A Caesarean Section, while not necessarily preferred by most mothers, is quite possibly the safest way to birth a baby in breech presentation. There is a decreased risk of injury to the baby, as well as a decreased risk to the mother.
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