News on External Versions

Posted by Brenda Lane Dec 11, 2007

Many mothers with breech babies are discovering that there options for turning babies or having vaginal breech births are all but disappearing these days.

New research in Israel may be changing some of these options with regard to the use of external cephalic versions. This technique is done in the hospital setting by an obstetrician and uses ultrasound to turn the baby manually from a breech to a head down (vertex) position.

A new study published in the December issue of Obstetrics & Gynecology shows that when a provider performs an external version with the use of spinal anesthesia, the rate of successfully turning the baby rose to 67% versus 34% for women without receiving a spinal The study also reported no cases of either placental abruption or fetal distress.

This is exciting research that can truly help women who are seeking more options for turning their breech babies!

Warmly,

Brenda