Outcome of Term Singleton Breech Deliveries in a Tertiary Health Care Centre

Abstract

Context: Breech delivery is generally associated with higher perinatal morbidity and mortality than cephalic presentation, and the optimal mode of delivery continues to be a source of debate. Objective:The aim of this study was to evaluate the perinatal and maternal morbidity and mortality associated with term breech delivery, with a view to identifying ways of improving the outcome. Study Design, Setting and Subjects:This was a retrospective study involving 222 term singleton breeches out of 11,571 deliveries conducted at Jos University Teaching Hospital between January 1994 and December 1998 Results:The incidence of singleton breech delivery at term was 1.9%. This statistically rose with increasing age and parity of the mothers (p Conclusion:High perinatal mortality and morbidity were found amongst babies delivered by assisted breech delivery and caesarean section was found to offer better perinatal outcome, albeit with a significant increase in maternal morbidity. Key Words: Term Breech, Fetal, Maternal Outcome, Parturient. [Trop J Obstet Gynaecol, 2003, 20: 129-133]