Rotational DElivery at Full dIlatatioN: a national prospective audit
Status: Manuscript writing stage
ReDEFINe aims to evaluate current national trends in the operative obstetric management of fetal malposition in the second stage of labour, which complicates around 15-20% of all deliveries. Importantly, fetal malposition is associated with an increase in adverse outcomes for both mother and baby. This includes increased risk of caesarean sections, perineal injury, admission to the neonatal unit and babies with low Apgar scores. Current management options include manual rotation, instrumental delivery (with or without manual rotation) or caesarean section.
Which methods are currently being utilised or preferred, and what outcomes these options have on both the mother and the baby, remain poorly defined. We anticipate that the findings from this timely project will be valuable from an obstetric training perspective, as well as providing essential information to guide future obstetric practise and UK guideline development for the benefit of our patients.