Effectiveness of maternal postural changes on the occipitoposterior position of the fetal head

Abstract

Introduction: The main dystocia due to fetal position abnormalities is the occipital posterior (OP) position, which in turn is considered the most common malposition at the time of delivery. Although the incidence of deliveries in OPP is low, the complications that accompany it have led to the consideration of a series of methods that attempt to favor the rotation of the fetal head and thus improve maternal-fetal outcomes. Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of the hands-knees and lateral decubitus positions towards the side of the fetal dorsum on the rate of rotation of the fetal head from an occipital posterior position to an occipital anterior (OA) position. Methodology: A bibliographic search has been carried out in different databases such as: Pubmed, Cochrane and Scielo. Results: Numerous studies have been carried out to find out which is the most indicated maternal position to rotate posterior fetal positions, demonstrating the effectiveness of the modified Sims position. For the quadruped position, statistically significant results have been obtained for the specific variable of persistent low back pain, notably reducing it during the first stage of labor. Conclusions: Postural changes have been found to be beneficial in favoring the rotation of the fetal head and descent through the birth canal; they are also simple and inexpensive techniques that help to favor the fit of the fetal head.