Extra pregnancy scan could slash number of breech births and risk to babies

Sign up for our free Health Check email to receive exclusive analysis on the week in health Get our free Health Check email Get our free Health Check email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. The two routine scans are far too early to tell us how the baby will be positioned at the time of labour and that’s why a third scan at 36-37 weeks could be a game-changer to pregnancy and birth care Professor Asma Khalil, St George’s, University of London Data suggests around 4% of babies are unexpectedly in a breech position at the end of pregnancy. “The two routine scans are far too early to tell us how the baby will be positioned at the time of labour and that’s why a third scan at 36-37 weeks could be a game-changer to pregnancy and birth care.” Doctors compared the rate of unexpected breech births and the health of the newborn baby after different third trimester scan policies were introduced at St George’s University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust. “Our research comes at a time when there’s a spotlight on the safety of maternity services and provides the NHS with a clear solution to help enable maternity units better prepare for safer, healthier births.” She hopes more midwives can be trained to use the hand-held ultrasound device so pregnant women can have easy access to a third trimester scan either at home or at hospital. “Our antenatal care guideline covers whether ultrasound scans should routinely be offered after 28 weeks for uncomplicated single baby pregnancies and provides several recommendations on identifying and managing breech presentation.