The unanticipated breech presentation in labor

In summary, the obstetrician often cannot anticipate the appearance of a woman with a breech fetus in labor, and, in the majority of instances, a woman will be in labor before the diagnosis is made. To obtain the best outcome with both preterm and term breech fetuses, the appropriate data must be obtained rapidly, and a plan of management based on this data must be developed. Management protocols outlined in this article, although not ensuring a good outcome in every instance, most often will result in the delivery of a healthy newborn. We should emphasize again that if the information described above is not available, then the safest course in most instances is delivery by cesarean section.