Late Pregnancy Ultrasounds Could Prevent Emergency C-Sections
BOSTON (CBS) — A new study from the University of Cambridge finds late pregnancy ultrasounds could prevent many emergency C-sections and even prevent some infant deaths.
In 3-4% of pregnancies, babies fail to flip head down, leading to what’s called a breech presentation. Trying to deliver a baby feet or buttocks first can lead to serious complications for the baby, including death. But sometimes it’s not known that a baby is breech until delivery.
At 36 weeks, it is still possible for a doctor to try to coax the baby head down by applying pressure to the abdomen, and if that doesn’t work, a routine C-section can be scheduled.
And based on a new study, researchers estimate that doing routine ultrasounds at 36 weeks could avoid 4,000 emergency C-sections and eight baby deaths a year in the U.K.
It’s still unclear whether routine late pregnancy ultrasound would be cost effective here in the United States.
Source: WBZ-TV - Breaking News, Weather and Sports for Boston, Worcester and New Hampshire - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Health – CBS Boston Tags: Boston News Health Seen On WBZ-TV Syndicated Local Dr. Mallika Marshall HealthWatch Ultrasound Source Type: news
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