VAGINAL DELIVERY OF BREECH BABIES, NEW GUIDELINES RELEASED

SOCIETY OF OBSTETRICIANS AND GYNAECOLOGISTS OF CANADA (SOGC) PRACTICE GUIDELINE: VAGINAL DELIVERY OF BREECH PRESENTATION

SOGC notes that many women who end up with a breech pregnancy can safely deliver vaginally so doctors should not automatically perform a cesarean section (Ubelacker, 2009, June 17). Dr. Robert Gagnon, chair of the SOGC’s maternal fetal medicine committee, explains: “Breech pregnancies are almost always delivered using a cesarean section, to the point where the practice has become somewhat automatic…What we've found is that, in some cases, vaginal breech birth is a safe option, and obstetricians should be able to offer women the choice to attempt a traditional delivery” (Ubelacker, 2009, June 17). Executive vice-president Dr. Andre Lalonde highlights that a reliance on cesarean deliveries has meant a large proportion of Canadian obstetricians lack training in vaginal breech birth. SOGC will develop programs with universities to ensure new medical school graduates and practising physicians are trained in techniques to safely deliver breech babies vaginally. This clinical practice guideline (SOGC, 2009) reviews the physiology of breech birth; discerns the risks and benefits of a trial of labour versus planned Cesarean section; and recommends to obstetricians, family physicians, midwives, obstetrical nurses, anaesthesiologists, paediatricians, and other health care providers selection criteria, intrapartum management parameters, and delivery techniques for a trial of vaginal breech birth.

SOGC practice guidelines: http://www.sogc.org/guidelines/documents/gui226CPG0906.pdf

French: http://www.sogc.org/guidelines/index_f.asp

News: http://www.parentcentral.ca/parent/article/652174

This is good news for those moms hoping to have a vaginal delivery as well as for breastfeeding. We know that cesarean births are associated with delayed lactogenesis (that's medical terminology for "milk coming in") and as expected, a delay in initiating breastfeeding. (Chen et al., 1998;Deweyet al., 2003; Evans et al., 2003;Grajed & Perez-Escamilla, 2002; Leung, Lam, & Ho, 2002; Nissen et al.; 1996; Rowe-Murray & Fisher, 2002; Wittels et al., 1997).

Unfortunately it's not for moms expecting multiples. The new guidelines apply only to singleton pregnancies.

Now it will be just a matter of time to get the New OB/GYN's trained to do it!

Thanks, Happy Breastfeeding.
Camilla Aviss RN,BHSc(N),CCCE
MULTIPLE REASONS LACTATION SUPPORT SERVICES
www.multiplereasons.com
Remember: "There's Multiple Reasons To Breastfeed"