Most babies are positioned head-down before labor begins, allowing for a safer vaginal delivery. However, some babies remain in a breech position, meaning their feet or buttocks are positioned to be delivered first.
While many breech babies are born healthy, this position can increase the risk of complications during labor and delivery, particularly if the baby experiences oxygen deprivation.
A breech pregnancy can be stressful for expectant parents. Understanding the potential risks and how healthcare providers monitor for complications can help families feel more prepared for delivery. If preventable medical errors during a breech delivery lead to a birth injury, families may also have legal options.
At Beam Legal Team, we understand how devastating birth injuries can be for families. Our birth injury lawyers are committed to helping parents understand their rights when medical negligence may have contributed to their child’s condition.
What Is a Breech Birth?
A breech birth occurs when a baby is positioned feet-first or buttocks-first instead of head-first before delivery. Most babies naturally turn head-down by about 34 weeks of pregnancy. By the time labor begins, about 3% to 4% of full-term babies remain in a breech position.
There are several types of breech presentation:
- Frank Breech: The baby’s buttocks are positioned to deliver first, with the legs extended upward toward the head.
- Complete Breech: The baby’s buttocks point downward while the knees are bent.
- Footling Breech: One or both feet are positioned to come through the birth canal first.
Healthcare providers typically identify a breech presentation during a prenatal exam or ultrasound late in pregnancy. Depending on the circumstances, they may recommend attempting to turn the baby into a head-down position using a procedure called external cephalic version (ECV) before labor begins. If ECV is not successful or is not considered safe, they may recommend scheduling a cesarean delivery.
What Increases the Risk of a Breech Presentation?
In many cases, there is no clear reason why a baby remains breech. However, certain factors may increase the likelihood, including:
- Premature labor
- Multiple pregnancies, such as twins or triplets
- Too much or too little amniotic fluid
- Certain uterine abnormalities
- Previous pregnancies
- Certain fetal abnormalities that limit movement
Even when risk factors are present, many breech pregnancies progress without serious complications when they are carefully monitored.
Why Can Breech Births Increase the Risk of Oxygen Deprivation?
During a head-first delivery, the baby’s head, which is typically the largest part of the body, is delivered first, allowing the rest of the body to follow more easily. During a breech delivery, the body may be delivered before the head, increasing the risk that the head becomes trapped in the birth canal and interferes with oxygen delivery.
Complications may include:
- Compression of the umbilical cord, reducing oxygen-rich blood flow to the baby
- Umbilical cord prolapse, where the cord slips into the birth canal before the baby and becomes compressed
- Head entrapment, where the baby’s body is delivered but the head becomes trapped in the birth canal
- Prolonged labor or difficult delivery that delays oxygen delivery
If these complications are not recognized and treated promptly, prolonged oxygen deprivation can lead to birth asphyxia, which may injure the brain and other vital organs.
Because oxygen deprivation can cause permanent injury within minutes, continuous monitoring and swift medical intervention are critical during a breech delivery.
Warning Signs of Oxygen Deprivation During Labor
Healthcare providers closely monitor both the mother and baby during labor for signs of fetal distress.
Potential warning signs may include:
- Abnormal fetal heart rate patterns
- Decreased fetal movement before delivery
- Umbilical cord prolapse
- A prolonged or stalled delivery
- Meconium-stained amniotic fluid in some cases
- A baby who has difficulty breathing or requires immediate resuscitation after birth
- Low Apgar scores immediately after delivery
These warning signs do not always mean a baby has suffered permanent harm. However, they may indicate the need for immediate medical intervention to reduce the risk of serious complications.
Birth Injuries That May Result From Oxygen Deprivation
When the brain is deprived of oxygen for too long, the effects can be life-changing. Potential birth injuries associated with oxygen deprivation include:
- Hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE), a type of brain injury caused by reduced oxygen and blood flow
- Cerebral palsy, particularly when severe oxygen deprivation causes permanent brain damage
- Cognitive or learning disabilities
- Developmental delays
- Seizure disorders
- Permanent neurological impairment
While outcomes vary, prompt recognition and treatment offer the best chance of reducing the severity of these injuries.
Why Prompt Medical Care Matters
Not every breech pregnancy requires a cesarean delivery, and not every breech birth results in complications. However, breech deliveries generally require careful planning, close monitoring, and the ability to respond quickly if problems develop.
Depending on the circumstances, appropriate medical care may include:
- Identifying a breech presentation before labor whenever possible
- Discussing delivery options with the family
- Continuously monitoring the baby’s heart rate during labor
- Recognizing signs of fetal distress
- Performing an emergency cesarean delivery when necessary
- Providing immediate newborn resuscitation if oxygen deprivation occurs
Prompt medical interventions can reduce the risk of permanent birth injuries.
When Medical Negligence May Be Involved
A poor outcome during a breech birth does not automatically mean medical negligence occurred. However, healthcare providers are expected to recognize known risks, appropriately monitor both mother and baby, and respond promptly when complications arise.
Medical negligence may also involve failing to diagnose a breech presentation, discuss appropriate delivery options, or properly manage a vaginal breech delivery despite known risks.
If a provider fails to identify fetal distress, delays a medically necessary cesarean delivery, or does not respond appropriately to signs of oxygen deprivation, those failures may contribute to preventable birth injuries.
Beam Legal Team Is Here for Your Family
Learning that your child suffered a preventable breech birth injury can leave your family searching for answers while facing medical, emotional, and financial challenges. If you believe medical errors during a breech delivery may have contributed to your child’s injuries, you do not have to navigate the situation alone.
Beam Legal Team helps families investigate potential birth injury claims, work with qualified medical experts, and pursue compensation for medical care, therapy, long-term support, and other damages. Contact us today for a free consultation to discuss your family’s legal options.