| Popis: |
The frequency of breech presentation at term is 3% among singletons. Greek physicians dreaded those births, as they frequently led to the death of mother, infant, or both. In Rome, surviving infants were named Agrippa (born with difficulty), and the goddess Postverta was revered for presiding over breech deliveries. To the antique procedures of embryotomy and hook for the dead infant, the Middle Ages added manoeuvres to turn and extract a living, albeit often traumatized infant. These manoeuvres were associated with asphyxia from cord prolapse or compression, fracture of legs, arms, or clavicles, cerebral haemorrhage, trauma to the cerebellum, tentorium, or pituitary stalk, and with torticollis and arm plexus palsy. The prototype of difficult birth, infants born feet-first were considered dangerous, and were neglected or killed in many cultures. Even after Caesarean section had lost most of its risk, conservative obstetricians still propagated vaginal delivery from breech presentation. Finally, at the beginning of the 21st century, large randomized trials and population-based studies proved that Caesarean delivery was safe for the mother and highly beneficial for the child, making vaginal delivery from breech presentation obsolete. |
