Brow presentation is
one of many abnormal positions that can lead to labor and delivery complications and subsequent birth injuries
. A fetus in brow presentation has the chin untucked, and the neck is extended slightly backward. It is similar to face presentation, except the neck is less extended.
What is the meaning of brow presentation?
If your baby is in a brow presentation, this means
the largest area of her head will be trying to fit through your pelvis during birth
. Brow presentation happens when your baby’s neck and head are slightly extended (deflexed), as if your baby is looking up.
What causes brow presentation?
The causes of a persistent brow presentation are generally similar to those causing a face presentation and include
cephalopelvic disproportion or pelvic contracture, increasing parity and prematurity
. These are implicated in more than 60% of cases of persistent brow presentation.
Can you deliver a brow presentation?
Mechanism of Labor in Brow Presentation
As this presentation is considered unstable, it is usually converted into a face or an occiput presentation. Due to the cephalic diameter being wider than the maternal pelvis, the fetal head cannot engage; thus,
brow delivery cannot take place.
What is the medical management for brow presentation?
Labor management for brow and face presentation involves
careful monitoring of
the fetal heart rate and labor course because fetal heart rate abnormalities and prolonged or arrested labor occur more commonly than in vertex presentations. In face presentations with mentum anterior, oxytocin may be used.
What is the difference between brow and face presentation?
A fetus in brow presentation has the chin untucked, and
the neck is extended slightly backward
. It is similar to face presentation, except the neck is less extended. As the term “brow presentation” suggests, the brow (forehead) is the part that is situated to go through the pelvis first.
Can you deliver a face presentation?
Face presentation can
be delivered vaginally only if the foetus is in the mentum anterior position
. More than half of the cases of face presentation are delivered by caesarean section. Newborn infants with face presentation usually have severe facial oedema, facial bruising or ecchymosis.
What is Sunny Side Up baby?
Doctors sometimes refer to it as “sunny side up.” So, that’s
when the baby’s head is actually facing towards mom’s belly
, and when the baby delivers vaginally in that position, the baby is actually looking at the ceiling—looking up, or sunny side up. Babies can be delivered vaginally.
What does Multiparous mean medically?
Multiparous: 1)
Having multiple births
. 2) Related to a multipara. See also uniparous.
What are the causes of face presentation?
- Prematurity.
- Very low birth weight.
- Fetal macrosomia (large baby)
- Cephalopelvic disproportion, or CPD (a mismatch in size between the mother’s pelvis and the baby’s head)
- Anencephaly (a birth defect in which the baby is missing part of the brain and skull)
What is persistent brow presentation?
When the fetal vertex is extended on the spinal column and the brow becomes the presenting part, it is termed “brow presentation.” Persistent brow presentation occurs
when there is no spontaneous conversion after the onset of active labor
.
What is hand prolapse?
This type of presentation involves the
prolapse of an extremity
along with the more traditional presenting part, almost always the fetal vertex. Usually, the misplaced part is a hand or arm.
What is the engaging diameter in brow presentation?
The engagement diameter is the
mento-vertical 13.5 cm
which is longer than any diameter of the inlet so there is no mechanism of labour and labour is obstructed.
What is the normal presentation of fetus?
Normally, the position of a fetus is facing rearward (toward the woman’s back) with the face and body angled to one side and the neck flexed, and
presentation is head first
. An abnormal position is facing forward, and abnormal presentations include face, brow, breech, and shoulder.
What is true CPD?
Cephalopelvic disproportion (CPD) occurs when a baby’s head or body is too large to fit through the mother’s pelvis. It is believed that true CPD
is rare
, but many cases of “failure to progress” during labor are given a diagnosis of CPD.
What is the McRoberts position?
The McRoberts maneuver is
an obstetrical maneuver used to assist in childbirth
. It is named after William A. McRoberts, Jr. It is employed in case of shoulder dystocia during childbirth and involves hyperflexing the mother’s legs tightly to her abdomen.
