Investigating Women's Views on the Management of a Breech Pregnancy

Background

Women undergo external cephalic version (ECV) in order to turn a baby in a breech (bottom, or feet down) presentation to a head down position. The procedure traditionally has about a 40% success rate and may be painful, issues that recent literature suggests puts some women off.

Pain relief using a short acting morphine-like painkiller, called remifentanil, can significantly reduce the pain experienced but does not seem to improve ECV success rates. Alternatively, a spinal anaesthetic (similar to that used for a caesarean section) can be used. This increases success rates to around 60% and very effectively reduces pain; however, it is an invasive procedure with potential complications and requires a hospital stay of at least half a day.

Aims and objectives

The investigators aim to perform a qualitative study to explore the views of women with a breech presentation on their management in general, and the use of anaesthesia or analgesia for ECV in particular.