What it means
Most babies settle head down before birth. In a breech presentation the buttocks or feet come first: frank breech (buttocks first, legs straight up), complete breech (sitting cross-legged) or footling breech (one or both feet first). A provider may try to turn the baby from outside (external cephalic version) near term, and many breech babies are born by cesarean.
For the nurse
The fetal heart is usually heard best above the umbilicus. When the membranes rupture, check the fetal heart rate and look for the cord, since a breech presentation raises the risk of umbilical cord prolapseum-BIL-ih-kul KORD PROH-lapsA condition in which the umbilical cord slips through the cervix ahead of or beside the fetus's presenting part.Full entry .
At a glance
| Spanish | presentación de nalgas |
|---|---|
| Also written | breech |
Related terms
cesarean
Relating to the birth of a baby through a surgical cut in the mother's abdomen and uterus.
obstetrician
A physician who specializes in the care of people during pregnancy, labor and birth, and just after.
umbilical cord prolapse
A condition in which the umbilical cord slips through the cervix ahead of or beside the fetus's presenting part.