A ten-year review of breech deliveries at Ibadan.

An audit of all breech deliveries at the University College Hospital, Ibadan over a ten-year period was done to determine the most important contributors to perinatal morbidity and mortality in breech deliveries. The data were obtained from the birth register and individual case records of patients seen at the hospital during the period. The audit revealed the occurrence of 263 breech deliveries out of a total 9,966 deliveries, giving an incidence of breech presentation of 2.6%. Breech presentation was commonest among primigravidae (32.0%) and decreased with increasing parity. Caesarean section was the commonest mode of delivery (46.1%) at term. The fresh stillbirth rate was 10.5%. Low birthweight and prematurity were noted in 31.0% and 35.2%, respectively. The corrected perinatal mortality rates for pre-term and term breech were 450.0 per 1000 and 62.5 per 1000, respectively. Caesarean section appeared to confer an advantage over vaginal delivery at term. Low birth-weight and prematurity remain significant predisposing factors to the high perinatal morbidity and mortality attending breech births.