May 18, 2019
Vidcast: https://youtu.be/CU2WZFt3CZ8
A planned ultrasound at 36 weeks will detect undiagnosed breech presentations in time to allow intervention and prevention of dangerous fetal distress and emergency c-sections. This recommendation springs from a study by public health specialists at Britain’s University of Cambridge.
The investigators screened nearly 3900 women during their first pregnancies with a 36 week ultrasound. The screening detected a 4.6% incidence of breech presentation more than half of which were unsuspected. The women were given the choice of attempting to turn the baby, so-called external cephalic version, or a an elective c-section. Those whose babies would not reposition underwent the elective c-section.
In the UK, the 36 week ultrasound that costs about 13 pounds or US$17, would prevent about 15,000 undetected breech presentations, more than 4,000 emergency c-sections and 8 baby deaths a year. The effects are even more dramatic when extrapolated to the US population.
If you are pregnant, would might want to ask your obstetrician about a 36 week ultrasound. It would save much heartache later on.
David Wastlund, Alexandros A. Moraitis, Alison Dacey, Ulla Sovio, Edward C. F. Wilson, Gordon C. S. Smith. Screening for breech presentation using universal late-pregnancy ultrasonography: A prospective cohort study and cost effectiveness analysis. PLOS Medicine, 2019; 16 (4): e1002778 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pmed.1002778
#3rdtrimester #ultrasound #breech #csection