A novel modification to manual rotation of the foetal head: making the manoeuvre safer

Neonatal and maternal outcomes of successful manual rotation to correct malposition of the fetal head; A retrospective and prospective observational study

Objective

To evaluate the neonatal and maternal outcomes associated with successful operative vaginal births assisted by manual rotation.

Design

Prospective and retrospective observational study.

Setting

Delivery suite in a tertiary referral teaching hospital in England.

Population

A cohort of 2,426 consecutive operative births, in the second stage of labour, complicated with malposition of the fetal head during 2006–2013.

Methods

Outcomes of all births successfully assisted by manual rotation followed by direct traction instruments were compared with other methods of operative birth for fetal malposition in the second stage of labour (rotational ventouse, Kielland forceps and caesarean section).

Main outcome measures

Associated neonatal outcomes (admission to the special care baby unit, low cord pH, low Apgar and shoulder dystocia) and maternal outcomes (massive obstetric haemorrhage (blood loss of >1500ml) and obstetric anal sphincter injury).

Results

Births successfully assisted with manual rotation followed by direct traction instruments, resulted in 10% (36/346) of the babies being admitted to the Special Care Baby Unit, 4.9% (17/349) shoulder dystocia, 2% (7/349) massive obstetric haemorrhage and 1.7% (6/349) obstetric anal sphincter injury, similar to other methods of rotational births.

Conclusions

Adverse neonatal and maternal outcomes associated with successful manual rotations followed by direct traction instruments were comparable to traditional methods of operative births. There is an urgent need to standardise the practice (guidance, training) and documentation of manual rotation followed by direct traction instrumental deliveries that will enable assessment of its efficacy and the absolute safety in achieving a vaginal birth.