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External Cephalic Version: Is it an Effective and Safe Procedure?
Published on: June 6, 2020
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Successful vaginal delivery after external cephalic version (ECV): does time interval from ECV to delivery make a
Tal Cahan1,2, Gabriel Levin3, Orit Moran4,5
1Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Sheba Medical Center, Tel-Hashomer, 52621, Ramat Gan, Israel. tal.cahan@gmail.com.
Archives of Gynecology and Obstetrics
|August 5, 2020
Summary
The time between external cephalic version and delivery did not affect cesarean delivery rates. Obesity and nulliparity are linked to higher cesarean risk after successful external cephalic version for breech presentation.
Area of Science:
- Obstetrics and Gynecology
- Maternal-Fetal Medicine
- Perinatal Outcomes
Background:
- External cephalic version (ECV) is used to convert breech presentation to cephalic.
- Cesarean delivery is more common after successful ECV compared to spontaneous cephalic presentation.
- The impact of the time interval between ECV and delivery on cesarean risk is not well-established.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between the time interval from successful ECV to delivery and the risk of cesarean delivery.
- To identify factors contributing to cesarean delivery after a successful ECV.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective cohort study of 769 deliveries following successful ECV at two medical centers (2011-2019).
- Comparison of patient and obstetric characteristics between vaginal and cesarean delivery groups.
- Analysis of maternal and neonatal outcomes.
Main Results:
- Cesarean delivery occurred in 12.7% of cases.
- Higher rates of obesity (44.9% vs 21.9%) and nulliparity (45.9% vs 24.5%) were observed in the cesarean delivery group.
- No significant difference in intrapartum cesarean delivery risk was found based on the time interval from ECV to delivery.
Conclusions:
- The time interval between successful ECV and delivery is not associated with the mode of delivery.
- Nulliparous, obese women, and those with higher gestational weight gain face an increased risk of cesarean delivery post-ECV.
