Which of the following is a potential complication of a vaginal breech delivery?

• A. Entrapment of the fetal head after delivery of the pelvis and shoulders
• B. Respiratory depression
• C. Uterine rupture
• D. Cord prolapse

Answer: (A)

In vaginal breech delivery, the trunk can pass more readily than the head, which remains the largest part and is delivered last. After the pelvis and shoulders are out, the head may become trapped high in the birth canal or at the vaginal introitus because there isn’t enough space or the neck isn’t flexed properly. This head entrapment can delay delivery and compromise the baby’s oxygen supply, making it a well-known and dangerous potential complication of a breech vaginal birth. Prompt recognition and specific maneuvers to facilitate head delivery—or a switch to cesarean if needed—are essential to resolve it.

Cord prolapse can occur with breech births but is not the classic, defining complication described here. Respiratory depression is a general neonatal risk and not specific to breech delivery, and uterine rupture, while serious, is not unique to breech deliveries.