3B Scientific Position of the Child before Birth Chart - Manual (Page 5)

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The more exceptional irregular cephalic presentations (vertex, brow and face presentations) increase the
jeopardy to mother and child or are even unsuitable for a delivery.
Breech presentations (fig. 8, 9 and 10)
The presentation in question is a breech presentation if in case of a longitudinal presentation the head is
not the anterior part. This is the case in approxi-mately 3 % of all deliveries. The breech presentations are
given special designations according to the fact whether the breech, both feet, the breech and both feet or
the breech and one foot are anterior:
The figures 8, 9 and 10 display 1st breech presentations (back to the left):
Fig. 8: perfect breech presentation
Fig. 9: double footling presentation
Fig. 10: complete footling presentation
Breech presentations increase the risk of delivery for mother and child so that under certain circumstances
a caesarian section must be done. As the anterior part of the child always has a smaller circumference than
the head in case of breech presentations, the dilatation of the cervical os of the uterus which commences
with the beginning of the labour is inadequate and delayed. This will result in a considerable extension of
the duration of labour with an increasing jeopardy to mother and child.
Transverse presentations (fig. 11)
Transverse presentations which amount to approximately 1 % of all deliveries are at issue when the longi-
tudinal axis of the child cuts the longitudinal axis of the mother square or at an angle. Among the possible
positions of transverse presentations, the frequent 1st dorso-anterior transverse presen-tation (head to the
left, back pointing forwards) is displayed in fig. 11. Transverse presentations are unsuitable for deliveries
which (unattended) will lead to the death of mother and child.
The origin of a transverse presentation is mostly based on disturbances of the normal presentation of the
head as the leading part (twins, deformed pelvis, malformations of the uterus, placenta located in front of
the cervical os etc.).
Twins (fig. 12 and 13)
One twin delivery falls to 80 - 90 deliveries. The displayed images do not indicate whether the twins in que-
stion are monozygotic or dizygotic twins.
The presentation of both children to each other is equal or different. The presentation of both children is
mostly a cephalic presentation (fig. 12; 45 % of the twin deliveries) or one child in cephalic presentation,
the other one in pelvic presentation (fig. 13; 35 % of the twin deliveries). According to the frequency, the
next presentations are: both children in breech presentation, cephalic presentation combined with trans-
verse presentation, breech presentation combined with transverse presentation, both children in transverse
presentation.
The delivery is mostly spontaneous in the course of which the second child follows approximately 30
minutes after the delivery of the first child.
Presentations of the child prior
to the delivery
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