Undiagnosed Breech in Banbury: A Study of Undiagnosed Breech at a District Hospital Maternity in Banbury, Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Oxfordshire, United Kingdom

Breech presentation is defined as when the buttock of the fetus occupies the lower uterine segment (or the pelvis) and the head occupies the fundus, when the fetal lie is longitudinal. It is the commonest form of mal-presentation of the fetus [1]. Undiagnosed breech occurs when breech is not diagnosed during the antenatal period. About 40% of babies are breech at 20 weeks gestation, 20% at 28 weeks gestation and 3% at term [1]. At the time of this study, the types of breech were stated as frank or extended, estimated at 6%, mostly in multips; complete or flexed (10%), mostly in primigravida and footling breech (5-20%), which may be unilateral (25%) or bilateral [1]. Predisposing factors for breech presentation (maternal and fetal) include contracted pelvis, bicornuate uterus, fibroids, placenta previa, polyhydramnios, oligohydramnios, spina bifida and hydrocephalus. Inability or failure to detect breech presentation may be due to maternal obesity, multiple pregnancy, polyhydramnios, late version, obstetric inexperience and less frequent antenatal care. Some factors like fibroid uterus and multiple pregnancy, which predispose to breech presentation may also lead to failure to Research Article