If your baby was breech at term please could you tell me about your DC now?

[TurnbabyTurn]

Bit of time for mine to turn but I don't think they will. I happened to know breech babies have a slightly higher chance of being born with birth defects or developmental conditions, including autism, although correlation obviously isn't causation. Unfortunately anecdotally the only child I know who was breech at term does have significant SEN.

Of course, rationally I know there will be millions of breech at term babies who went on to be very happy, healthy children at adults. Please could you reassure me with your stories?

For context, we have a wonderful DC born with a rare condition and we don't know the origin so have been carefully monitored in this pregnancy and can't help jumping to conclusions!

Thank you

Mine were both breech after 37 weeks (so at teen) but they both turned by themselves before birth. They are 5 and nearly 2 and seem completely healthy so far.

I was born bottom first apparently 70+ years ago - no learning disabilities or difficulties.

DS was a footling breech birth, his foot appeared twenty minutes before he made an appearance! He's now 30, 6ft, no health problems and has two degrees. He was jaundiced and it was quite a traumatic vaginal delivery but he didn't have any health issues once we were both out of hospital. He arrived on his due date and although they considered a caesarean section, my consultant was happy for me to have a vaginal birth.

DC transverse, then breech. Born via emergency c-section after my waters went. Has diagnosis of autism and attends a special school.

I have heard about a possible link between breech presentation and autism. This is one study that I've read about:

www.google.com/amp/s/www.spectrumnews.org/news/difficulties-pregnancy-labor-may-raise-childs-autism-risk/amp

From the article (my emphasis in bold):

Many of the factors compromise a baby’s supply of oxygen and nutrients, he says, and could alter brain development in ways that boost autism risk. The study appeared in January in the American Journal of Perinatology.

The results jibe with a study published in November that showed a slight uptick in autism risk among babies exposed to their own feces in the womb, which can lower their oxygen supply.

But the study does not reveal whether birth complications trigger autism or whether the condition somehow leads to birth complications, says Tonya White, associate professor of pediatric neuroimaging at Erasmus University in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. “The [researchers] did a nice job showing a link between autism and pre- and perinatal complications,” she says. “What’s unclear is the direction of the link.”

I was breech.
Both my DC were breech.
My Mum was breech.
No SEN or any other needs.

My daughter was breech from before the 20 week scan until term. Elective c section due to measuring large. It appears that she didn't turn because she just couldn't! Big baby and smallish mum. No problems at hip scan. Only three years old now but no inkling of any Sen.

I was breech, born by c-section in the mid-60s. I've had no issues as a result.

My 18 year old DD was breech. No medical issues.

My DH was breech. My DMIL decided to give us his childhood photo albums recently, which start with photos of DH hanging out of her vagina with his head still inside. To make matters worse he is a distinctly blue colour and having a poo. DFIL took the photos, suffice it to say they have since divorced!
Also in the photo album is an envelope containing DHs umbilical cord (not envy).
Quite why DMIL thought we would want this album is beyond me! But in better new DH is pretty normal!

I had a breech baby and also read that is was associated with disability, however the causation is the other way to what you are saying. It's the baby's movements that gradually move them in to the right position, and physical or intellectual disabilities can mean they don't move in quite the usual way, they might not be strong enough for example. So this can lead to the breech position.

My dc is NT as it happens.

The baby getting in the right position for birth is considered by some to be the first developmental milestone. Therefore if they fail this first milestone it's feared its the start of a pattern.

DD was breech at term, I had a c section, she was referred for clicky hip thing but was fine at 6 week check for it. Now a delightful moody and hormonal 16 year old, who can be a pain but also lovely to have around.

DS was head-down until 35+ weeks, then went transverse and then breech by 36/37 weeks. He wouldn't budge for love nor money and was delivered by CS at 38+4 because he was footling breech. He was poorly for a while after birth and caught every bug going and then some in his first year at nursery (incomplete attendance most weeks). He has been slooooow in developing gross motor skills, sitting at 8 months, crawling at 14 and walking at 19+. His fine motor skills, OTOH, are quite amazing. He is the most chilled out, smiliest kid ever and can happily play by himself for ages. Has always been a good sleeper as well. I think the late development of gross motor skills is more likely to do with the fact that his head is off-the-scale big, his legs average and his feet small for a long time. His speech is slower end of normal, but he's bilingual. Randomly, he had all his teeth by 20 months. I don't care if he's slower in some areas and couldn't give a toss if he never goes to university or anything like that. I wouldn't have him any other way, he is absolutely perfect. I know it wasn't your intention, but your post has put me on the defensive a bit. There is also precisely zero you can do about having a breech baby. Some can be turned, but they will always have been breech. I think it's slightly ridiculous to see it as the first developmental milestone. I think DS was breech because his head was so big it was more comfortable. Equally, my nephew wasn't breech but didn't engage and had to be delivered by Caesarean and he was running around on his first birthday and has been early with everything.

Thanks so much for all these replies, can't believe there are so many!

I think I mentioned it earlier in thread but I completely agree with regards to correlation and causation, I was very much aware of that, but it's kind of my point - really it doesn't matter which causes which if there were a link, because we can't do much about either, I'm just worried about the possibility of a link itself - does that make sense? The net result being a very small increased chance of the baby being born with some kind of problem was my worry, whether the problem was part of factors leading to breech or (less likely) the breech was part of factors leading to the problem - or whether both together create the perfect storm. Any of these ways for me of course is a concern

I'm more wondering if the breech is a marker of a disorder like my DD's, than the breech itself leading to a problem

Haven’t RTFT just giving my experience.

DD was breach but was turned by ECV at 38 weeks. She is an amazing young woman with a first class degree.

DS was not breach. He is an amazing young man but has SEN which has caused huge problems.

My son was breech and has a good degree in history from a Russell group university and a postgrad law qualification. He played hockey at school and university and did gold DoE. He never had problems meeting any developmental stages.

Thank you. It's all so encouraging

Also want to add that I know children with SEN or birth problems are wonderful too, my DD has a condition (although probably not SEN) but she's the most amazing thing we could ever have hoped for. I just worry about the impact of her defects on her life (though thankfully they should be minimal) and obviously worry about what it means for a sibling, though scans this time round have appeared normal aside from the presentation

Absolutely not intending to be insensitive towards those who are not NT, or their parents

I found out recently I have a retroverted uterus. My daughter was in a back to back position for quite a lot of labour. Don’t know whether this explains the breech and it’s 23 years plus too late to ask!

I was a breech baby as was my DS1. No developmental issues in either case. I've never seen anything which suggests a correlation either.

I was breech at early term, was an EMCS for pre eclampsia though so didn't make 40 weeks.

Generally healthy, represented GB at a minority sport, top of school year academically and did well at university too.

Currently a SAHM because I didn't enjoy the city law career I thought I wanted and yet to work out my niche, but I'm not going to blame my birth position for that!

Absolutely not intending to be insensitive towards those who are not NT, or their parents

Don’t worry, I didn’t get that feeling from your posts.

I was an extended breech born by C section and I am fine now (age 30), have a PhD, job, husband, house etc :)
Apparently my mum had to double nappy me though (to treat hips) and I have hypermobile joints - no idea if that's related but it's not caused me a huge amount of trouble in my life, it's just one of those things!

Breech babies have a much higher risk of Hip Dysplasia. As a matter of routine all breech babies should have an ultrasound of the hips by 6 weeks of age.

I have never heard a correlation between breech and SEN.