Israel Joins Canada Increasing Vaginal Breech Birth
Haaretz.com posted an article, Doctors call for fewer C-sections, more training for breech presentations, by Dan Even.
Dr. Marek Glazerman (mistakenly called Mark in the article), head of Rabin Medical Center’s Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, is heralded as a proponent of vaginal breech birth, when appropriate. He spoke up for breech birth even after the Hannah Study claims put the brakes on vaginal breech birth in numerous hospitals around the world.
Dr. Glazerman was a participant at the “Day at the Breech” October 14, 2009 with Jane Evans, UK Midwife and breech expert, and Dr.s Anke Rietter and Frank Louwen of Frankfort. I have a fond memory of him asking Dr. Louwen how long to wait for the head. Dr. Louwen indicated to look at the baby’s body position and if anterior (facing the tailbone) and the umbilical cord is pulsing that one can wait a long, long time. Dr. Rietter mentioned a birth with a wait betwen body and head of six minutes in which the baby had a great outcome but a visiting observer did not. She got nervous. The story was told with gentle affection.
The wait is possible when the mother is in the physiological breech birth position. Knee-elbow as the German doctors call it. Midwife Evans explains that this helps protect the breech birth because when the mother is on all fours the baby can most easily move through a series of cardinal movements, rotating through the pelvis most safely.
Dr. Marek Glazerman has now achieved the attention of his nation to keep breech birth safe. Many womens’ lives will be saved because fewer major surgeries will be done. Screening will help determine which babies can be born safely as nature intended and which actually do need a cesarean for optimal health and life.
Dr. Andre Lalonde of the Society for Ob Gyn of Canada mentions Dr. Louwen in his editorial explaining the Canadian Obstetrician group’s decision to save breech birth. See it on JOGC – June ’09 Vaginal Breech Delivery Guideline:
The Time Has Come
André B. Lalonde, MD, FRCSC