Whether you’re aiming for a hospital, birth center, or home delivery, if you get the news that your baby is in the breech position, chances are you’ll be advised to have a cesarean section. But on Wednesday, the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada (SOGC) released new guidelines for health professionals that turn the breech issue upside down. They state that health professionals should not automatically recommend cesarean sections for women carrying breech babies.
After a comprehensive review of research, SOGC concluded that vaginal breech birth is a safe option in some cases:
“The evidence is clear that attempting a vaginal delivery is a legitimate option in some breech pregnancies,” said Dr. André Lalonde, Executive Vice-President of the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada. “The onus is now on us as a profession to ensure that Canadian obstetricians have the necessary training to offer women the choice to deliver vaginally when possible.”
Friday, June 19, 2009
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2 comments:
As a vaginally birthed breech baby from 1980, I give a hearty applause for Canada!
I'm glad to see this article from Canada. I have comanaged several breech births with skilled obstetricians in the past 2 decades and the outcomes were excellent. Unfortunately, I'm afraid breech birth in the US is a dying art.
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