文摘
Objective To examine the delivery mode and neonatal outcome after a trial of external cephalic version (ECV) procedures. Study design This is an interim analysis of an ongoing larger prospective off-centre randomised trial, which compares a clinical hypnosis intervention against neuro-linguistic programming (NLP) of women with a singleton breech foetus at or after 370/7 (259?days) weeks of gestation and normal amniotic fluid index. Main outcome measures were delivery mode and neonatal outcome. Results On the same day after the ECV procedure two patients (2?%), who had unsuccessful ECVs, had Caesarean sections (one due to vaginal bleeding and one due to pathological CTG). After the ECV procedure 40.4?% of women had cephalic presentation (n?=?38) and 58.5?% (n?=?55) remained breech presentation. One patient remained transverse presentation (n?=?1; 1.1?%). Vaginal delivery was observed by 73.7?% of cephalic presentation (n?=?28), whereas 26.3?% (n?=?10) had in-labour Caesarean sections. Of those, who selected a trial of vaginal breech delivery, 42.4?% (n?=?14) delivered vaginally and 57.6?% (n?=?19) delivered via Caesarean section. There is a statistically significant difference between the rate of vaginal birth between cephalic presentation and trial of vaginal breech delivery (p?=?0.009), however, no difference in neonatal outcome was observed. Conclusion ECV is a safe procedure and can reduce not only the rate of elective Caesarean sections due to breech presentation but also the rate of in-labour Caesarean sections even if a trial of vaginal breech delivery is attempted.