Feto-maternal haemorrhage following successful and unsuccessful attempts at external cephalic version

In the present study, 6 out of 100 patients who had an attempted or actual external cephalic version (ECV) showed significant feto-maternal haemorrhage, the amount being greatest in patients with "failed" external versions. Thus ECV may be a source of rhesus iso-immunization in a rhesus negative mother with a rhesus positive fetus and should not be performed unless the father is a rhesus negative. If, however, an ECV has been attempted, fetal cell counts should then be made and rhesus immunoprophylaxis administered if necessary.