Hunter holds natural breech birth record

Lamp, The, July, 2008

According to the latest statistics from NSW Health, John Hunter Hospital is now the leading maternity unit in Australia for natural breech births.

About 3% of babies born in Australia are delivered in the breech position and, with 50 vaginal breech deliveries a year, John Hunter Hospital tops the state.

The hospital's director of obstetrics, Dr Andrew Bisits, said between 10% and 20% of women who presented with a breech baby chose to attempt a vaginal delivery--the majority went on to have a normal birth without any complications.

With the popularity of natural births, statistics show some women are travelling from outside the region for the vaginal birth option, as breech babies are usually referred to private obstetricians for caesarean deliveries.

A spokesperson said John Hunter Hospital gave these women the option of a natural delivery provided the mother and baby met certain criteria. An obstetrician was also on stand-by in case of complications.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

COPYRIGHT 2008 New South Wales Nurses Association
COPYRIGHT 2008 Gale, Cengage Learning

 

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