quick clicks

pregnancy today articles

pregnancy today q&a

message boards

research baby names

prepare a birth plan

content channels

ip channel rss feeds

read birth stories

read parenting stories

recommended books

e-newsletters

safety recalls

ip diaries

ip store

mom of the month

dad of the month

editor's letter

letters to the editor

Birth Presentations and Delivery

A Guide for Baby's Arrival

By Carma Haley Shoemaker

Although rare, the malpresentation of a fetal lie could offer complications to the delivery process. "An oblique or transverse lie occurs in approximately one in 300 births," Dr. Michael says. "The major risk with a malpresentation of the fetal lie is that neither the feet or the head occupy the pelvic outlet, allowing an open space in the birth canal. Should a woman's water break, there is nothing plugging that outlet or taking up that space. The most common complication with a malpresentation of the fetal lie is cord prolapse."

Cord prolapse is when the umbilical cord exits the birth canal prior to the baby. If cord prolapse occurs, the blood and oxygen flow to the baby can be interrupted or severed, which can cause tissue, organ or brain damage.

"A cord prolapse can occur 20 times more often with a transverse lie than with an oblique or cephalic," Dr. Michael says. "If a mother goes into labor, especially if her water membrane breaks and she has been told by her doctor that her baby is in a transverse lie, she should get immediate medical attention or call 911. Women tend to have a good chance of having what is called an external cephalic reversion – where the doctor can turn the baby into a correct position. Also, a large percentage of the mothers whose babies are in an oblique or transverse lie will not need the doctor to help. When they go into labor and start contracting, oftentimes the baby will revert to a vertex presentation spontaneously. So by the time they are ready for actual delivery, the head will have made its way down into the pelvis on its own, lining up perfectly."

Want to see more?

• Check out our Article Library.
• Bottoms Up: Dealing with Breech Babies
• Sometimes Labor Can Be a Pain in the Hip: A Certified Doula Explains Hip Pain and Positioning of the Baby
• Routine Labor Care: A Certified Doula Explains the Basic Components of Maternity Care
• Talk about it!