Epidemiology
Breech presentation is common in early pregnancy and decreases with advancing gestational age, as most babies turn spontaneously to a cephalic presentation before birth.[3]Scheer K, Nubar J. Variation of fetal presentation with gestational age. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 1976 May 15;125(2):269-70.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1266909?tool=bestpractice.com
[4]Nassar N, Roberts CL, Cameron CA, et al. Diagnostic accuracy of clinical examination for detection of non-cephalic presentation in late pregnancy: cross sectional analytic study. BMJ. 2006 Sep 16;333(7568):578-80.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1570002/
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16891327?tool=bestpractice.com
The prevalence at term in singleton pregnancies is 3% to 4% of all births.[1]Cunningham F, Gant N, Leveno K, et al. Williams obstetrics. 21st ed. New York: McGraw-Hill; 1997.[2]Kish K, Collea JV. Malpresentation and cord prolapse. In: DeCherney AH, Nathan L, eds. Current obstetric and gynecologic diagnosis and treatment. New York: McGraw-Hill Professional; 2002. The prevalence prior to term at various gestations is as follows:[3]Scheer K, Nubar J. Variation of fetal presentation with gestational age. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 1976 May 15;125(2):269-70.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1266909?tool=bestpractice.com
BMJ Best Practice is an evidence-based point of care tool for healthcare practitioners.
To continue reading and access all of BMJ Best Practice's pages you'll need to log in or start a free trial.
You can access through your institution if your hospital, university, trust or other institution provides access to BMJ Best Practice through either OpenAthens or Shibboleth.