Published in:
01-03-2014 | Maternal-Fetal Medicine
Patient satisfaction with childbirth after external cephalic version
Published in: Archives of Gynecology and Obstetrics | Issue 3/2014
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Purpose
To assess acceptance and impact of external cephalic version (ECV) for breech presentation at term on maternal satisfaction with childbirth.
Methods
Retrospective study on n = 131 women with breech presentation comparing maternal satisfaction after ECV and consecutive childbirth (n = 66; 50.4 % of these successful attempts in n = 33; 50 %) against the group without ECV and primary caesarean section (CS) (n = 65; 49.6 %) instead using a questionnaire.
Results
Women with successful ECV tolerated side effects of the intervention better than after unsuccessful ECV (pain, tocolytics, mental and physical state, for all p < 0.001). They were not more satisfied with childbirth than women who experienced an unsuccessful ECV (p = 0.37). However, they would undergo the procedure again (p = 0.003) and would recommend it to other women (p < 0.001). Only women with spontaneous vaginal deliveries after successful version were more satisfied with childbirth than women with planned CS (p = 0.05). Women with version attempts tend to perceive childbirth as being less problematic with fewer complications (9.5 vs. 19 %, p = 0.12). Unsuccessful ECVs had no negative impact on satisfaction with childbirth (p = 0.072).
Conclusion
Attempting ECV seems to be an option for increasing the rate of vaginal births with breech presentation without negative impact on maternal satisfaction regarding consecutive childbirth.