Footling Breech Baby
by Barbara Parker, RN, ARNP, CNM
Q. I was told that my baby is footling breech. I am 33 weeks. Both my belly and the baby are measuring 35 weeks. The doctor said we would watch it and see what happens but it does mean a c-section.
Footling Breech: Footling breech babies have one or both feet stretched out and the other tucked underneath, much like a bird standing on one foot. This is a rare breech position for full-term babies, but is common with premature fetuses.
Footling breech
Sometimes, one or both of the baby's feet are pointed down toward the birth canal. This increases the chances of the umbilical cord slithering down into the mouth of the womb, cutting off blood supply to the baby.
Footling breech where one or both legs are extended below the level of the buttocks.
Knee breech where one or both knees are extended below the level of the buttocks.
Footling Breech - A type of breech presentation in a fetus. This type of presentation occurs in 10% to 30% of infants that are breech. One or both of the fetus's hips are extended and the feet are presenting.
There is also footling breech where one or both feet are presenting.
Complications of Breech: ...
- your baby is a footling breech (baby's foot or feet are below its bottom) or kneeling breech (baby is in a kneeling position) - both of which are uncommon
- your baby is large (over 3.8 kilos (8lb 6oz) ...
In contrast, a footling breech has the knee or knees flexed, such that the feet join the buttocks as the presenting part. This type of delivery can't be done vaginally--the laws of physics will not allow it to go smoothly.
Some fetuses present with their buttocks or feet pointed down toward the birth canal (a frank, complete or incomplete/footling breech presentation).
Kaij-My little boy was footling breech as well. WE found out when I was approximately 34 weeks because I went into preterm labor. I had been scheduled for an ultrasound to determine what was going on because I was measuring 5 weeks ahead.
He was in the footling breech position, and after 7 hours of labour (which started with spontaneous rupture of membranes at 37 1/2 weeks), we had been stuck at 6 cms for 4 hours and intervention was necessary.
Baby is not a footling breech. Extended breech is the most favourable, but flexed breech is OK as long as the bottom moves down and engages into the pelvis.
In a complete breech position, he is butt-first with knees bent; in a frank breech, the legs are extended up, with feet near the head; if one leg is lowered over the cervix it is a footling breech.
Footling Breech where your baby's bottom is higher in the uterus, but his feet are at the opening of the pelvic bone, set to come out first
Kneeling Breech where your baby is in a kneeling position at the top of the pelvic bone ...
Abnormal position of the baby - the baby is lying in such a way that a vaginal birth is not possible, such as across the uterus (transverse) or feet first (footling breech).
The knees are bent, and the feet are near the buttocks.
Footling breech. One leg or both legs are stretched out below the buttocks. The leg or legs are in place to come out first during delivery.
The three types of breech presentation are frank breech (flexed at hips with extended knees-legs above buttocks), footling breech (one or both hips extended-leg(s) extended below buttocks), ...
It is usually safer to deliver this kind of baby by a Cesarean section early in labor or before labor begins. If a footling breech is delivered vaginally, there is a risk that the head may not easily through the birth canal.
to the mother and baby, and today, most breech babies that are not turned, are delivered by c-section. There are different types of breeches- a frank breech presents with the buttocks first, the complete breech sits cross legged, the footling breech ...
 See also: Footling, Pregnancy, Delivery, Vagina, Presentation
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