See

discussions, stats, and author profiles for this publication at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/233898313

Fetal malpositions and malpresentations in

labour
Article in Obstetrics Gynaecology & Reproductive Medicine June 2012

CITATIONS

READS

480

2 authors:
Vikram Sinai Talaulikar

Sabaratnam Arulkumaran

University College London Hospitals NHS F

St George's, University of London

81 PUBLICATIONS 193 CITATIONS

400 PUBLICATIONS 5,360 CITATIONS

SEE PROFILE

SEE PROFILE

Some of the authors of this publication are also working on these related projects:

MRCOG part 3 examination course View project

Available from: Vikram Sinai Talaulikar

Retrieved on: 01 October 2016

This article appeared in a journal published by Elsevier. The attached

copy is furnished to the author for internal non-commercial research
and education use, including for instruction at the authors institution
and sharing with colleagues.
Other uses, including reproduction and distribution, or selling or
licensing copies, or posting to personal, institutional or third party
websites are prohibited.
In most cases authors are permitted to post their version of the
article (e.g. in Word or Tex form) to their personal website or
institutional repository. Authors requiring further information
regarding Elseviers archiving and manuscript policies are
encouraged to visit:
http://www.elsevier.com/copyright

Author's personal copy

REVIEW

Malpositions and
malpresentations of the fetal
head

percent of fetuses at term present with vertex. Other presentations (which are classified as malpresentations) include breech,
face, brow, shoulder or compound presentation. Vertex refers to
a diamond shaped area of the fetal head that is bounded by each
parietal eminence and the anterior and posterior fontanelles
(Figure 1). It presents the smallest diameters of the fetal head to
the maternal pelvis (Figure 2).
Denominator: is the fetal reference point used in defining
position. It is usually a prominent bony landmark at the
circumference of the presenting part e.g. occiput for vertex,
sacrum for breech, mentum (chin) for face and acromion for
shoulder presentation. For a brow presentation the denominator
is not fixed and either the sinciput (area of anterior fontanelle) or
occiput can be used.
Position: refers to the relationship of the denominator to the
fixed points on the maternal pelvis such as pubic symphysis,
iliopectineal eminence, sacroiliac joints and sacrum. For vertex
presentations, the occiput can occupy following positions in
labour e occipitoanterior, occipitotransverse or occipitoposterior.
Attitude: refers to the degree of flexion or extension of the
fetal head with respect to the trunk. A well-flexed fetal head
presents the most favourable diameters to the maternal pelvis. If
the fetal neck is deflexed, the leading part of the fetal head lies
more anteriorly and a brow presentation can occur while if there
is complete extension of the fetal neck, the face then becomes the
leading part producing face presentation (Figure 3aec).

Vikram S Talaulikar
Sabaratnam Arulkumaran

Abstract
In normal labour, the fetal head presents with the occiput in lateral position in early stages of labour followed by anterior rotation in advanced
labour. Malpositions of fetal head result when the occiput persists in
a lateral or posterior position while malpresentations occur due to extension of the fetal head causing brow or face to present. Malpresentations
of fetal head are usually diagnosed in labour and are associated with difficult labour and increased risk of operative intervention. Regular systematic clinical examinations to monitor progress of labour and fetal
wellbeing are necessary once the diagnosis is confirmed. Although
vaginal delivery is possible in many cases, caesarean section becomes
necessary when the malposition or malpresentation persists and labour
fails to progress.

Keywords brow; face; malposition; malpresentation; occipitoposterior;

occipitotransverse; slow progress of labour

Introduction
Normal mechanism of labour involves a well flexed fetal head
that engages into maternal pelvis so that the occiput comes to lie
near one of the lateral aspects of maternal pelvis at the onset of
labour. As labour advances, progressive flexion and descent of
fetal head cause the occiput to rotate anteriorly when the head
reaches the pelvic floor. When this sequence of changes in the
position of fetal head is altered, a malposition or malpresentation
occurs. Malpositions or malpresentations of the fetal head are
usually diagnosed in labour and while in many cases vaginal
delivery is possible, they are associated with a more difficult
labour and increased operative interventions with attendant risks
to both the mother and the baby.

Definitions
The term presentation refers to the part of the fetus which is
presenting to the pelvic inlet. It can also be defined as the part of
the fetus occupying the lower pole of the uterus. Nearly 95

Vikram S Talaulikar MD MRCOG is a Clinical Research Fellow at the

Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, St. Georges Hospital
Medical School, London, UK. Conflicts of interest: none declared.
Sabaratnam Arulkumaran MD PhD FRCS FRCOG is Professor and Head of
the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, St. Georges Hospital
Medical School, London, UK. Conflicts of interest: none declared.

OBSTETRICS, GYNAECOLOGY AND REPRODUCTIVE MEDICINE 22:6

Figure 1 Diamond shaped area of the fetal vertex bounded by each

parietal eminence and the anterior and posterior fontanelles.

155

2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Author's personal copy

REVIEW

Clinical presentation and diagnosis

A thorough and systematic clinical examination is important for
diagnosis and further management of fetal head malpositions or
malpresentations.
Abdominal examination: periodic abdominal examination
should be performed in labour to assess descent and position of
fetal head. While the descent may be assessed by fifths of the
fetal head palpable above symphysis pubis, the relative positions
of sinciput and occiput may suggest the attitude of the fetal head.
Palpation may also provide a rough estimate of the fetal size/
weight and liquor volume.
Vaginal examination: vaginal examination often confirms the
findings of malposition or malpresentation. When performing
a systematic vaginal examination, station of the fetal head should
be identified in cm above or below the ischial spines. Placement of
sutures and fontanelles should be confirmed by sweeping the
fingers across the fetal head. The inverted Y shaped suture lines or
overlapping of parietal bones over the occipital bones in labour
helps to identify the posterior fontanelle. Anterior fontanelle is felt
as a soft diamond shaped depression at junction of four bones. If
the anterior fontanelle is felt easily near the centre of the pelvis it
indicates the possibility of a deflexed head. If the amount of caput
makes examination difficult, it may be possible to feel the fetal ear
anteriorly. Care should be taken to feel the pinna and the canal, as
the ear can be folded and give a false impression of its position.
Also, since the ear is just below the biparietal diameter, it can aid
in judging the descent of the head. Synclitism of the parietal bone
(level of parietal eminences in the pelvis) should be assessed by
feeling the relationship of the sagittal suture to the transverse
plane of the pelvic cavity. Anterior asynclitism, in which the
anterior parietal bone is more easily felt and the sagittal suture is
further back in the transverse plane, is normal. Posterior asynclitism however may be a sign of disproportion (Figure 5). Excessive
Caput (soft tissue swelling of fetal scalp) and Moulding (over
riding of fetal skull bones) may suggest possibility of obstructed
labour due to cephalopelvic disproportion.
In case of brow presentation, the orbital ridges and sinciput will
form the prominent findings while in case of face presentation

Figure 2 Vertex presentation with flexed attitude.

Fetal head presentations and mechanism of labour

The three Ps of normal labour e Power (Uterine activity),
Passage (Maternal pelvis and soft tissues) and Passenger (Position and size of fetal head) all play an important role in
successful vaginal delivery. As part of the normal mechanism of
labour, the fetal head descends and engages into the maternal
pelvis in a transverse plane in the late third trimester or just prior
to the onset of or during labour. It most commonly lies in a left
occipitotransverse position. As labour advances, with progressive descent and flexion, the occiput rotates to an anterior position once it reaches the pelvic floor. With further uterine
contractions and descent, the head is born by extension of the
fetal neck followed by restitution. The head then undergoes
external rotation as the shoulders continue their internal rotation
to come to lie in the sagittal plane for delivery. The baby is then
born by lateral flexion of the body. If the fetal head is not well
flexed, the presenting diameters to the pelvis are larger and this
causes malpositions or malpresentations. The larger diameters
can lead to slow progress or arrest of labour. The presenting
diameters associated with these different presentations at term
are listed in Table 1 and illustrated in Figure 4.

Figure 3 (a) Well flexed fetal head in vertex presentation, (b) deflexed head in a brow presentation and (c) extension of the fetal neck in a face
presentation.

OBSTETRICS, GYNAECOLOGY AND REPRODUCTIVE MEDICINE 22:6

156

2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Author's personal copy

REVIEW

Different types of fetal head presentations, attitudes and anteroposterior diameters (transverse diameter is the
biparietal e 9.5 cm)
Presentation

Attitude

Anteroposterior diameter

Length cm

Vertex
Vertex
Vertex (occipitoposterior position)
Brow
Face

Flexed vertex
Semi-deflexed vertex
Deflexed vertex
Semi-extended
Extended

Suboccipitobregmatic
Suboccipitofrontal
Occipitofrontal
Mentovertical
Submentobregmatic

9.5
10.5
11.5
13
9.5

Table 1

great care should be taken to avoid damaging the orbits which

may be felt along with nose, mouth and malar bones.

expressed as 1 (apposition of the parietal bones at the suture

but no overlap), 2 (overlap of parietal bones but reducible with
gentle pressure), 3 (overlap of bones with difficulty in reducing
with gentle pressure).
The mother will be exhausted and show signs of dehydration
such as tachycardia, pyrexia and oliguria. While in a primigravid
woman, obstruction may be followed by the uterine inertia
(weak or no contractions), in a multigravida the major risk is of
violent uterine contractions leading to ruptured uterus.

Signs of obstructed labour

If the presenting part is too large for the pelvis, arrest of labour
can occur. It is very important to be vigilant for signs of
obstructed labour and perform a timely operative delivery to
avoid adverse maternal or neonatal outcomes. Obstructed labour
is characterized by signs such as e arrest of cervical dilatation/
descent of fetal head, oedematous poorly applied cervix,
increasing caput and moulding, formation of Bandls ring which
may be visible or palpable per abdomen. Caput is a soft tissue
swelling of the fetal scalp and increase in its size with progress of
time is a subjective assessment. The degree of moulding is

Partogram
Progress of labour should be closely monitored because slow
progress of labour is the commonest manifestation of fetal
malpositions in labour. The partogram is a very useful tool which
can help in timely diagnosis and action for dystocia.

Obstetric outcomes associated with malpositions or

malpresentations of the fetal head

The presenting anteroposterior diameters associated

with different presentations of fetal head

Fetal malpositions or malpresentations are associated with the

following:

Anterior and posterior asynclitism

a Anterior parietal
bone presentation

b Posterior parietal
bone presentation

PS

PS

(a) Suboccipitobregmatic 9.5 cm (vertex);

(b) Occipitofrontal 11.5 cm (occipitoposterior);
(c) Mentovertical 13 cm (brow); and
(d) Submentobregmatic 9.5 cm (face).

PS, pubic symphysis; S, sacrum

Figure 4

OBSTETRICS, GYNAECOLOGY AND REPRODUCTIVE MEDICINE 22:6

Figure 5

157

2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Author's personal copy

REVIEW









presents a larger anteroposterior (occipitofrontal e 11.5 cm)

diameter to the maternal pelvis. OP position may be sub-classified
into right OP, left OP or direct OP (Figure 6). The majority of
occipitoposterior heads will rotate to occipitoanterior in labour.
In cases with persistent OP position e with good uterine
contractions and roomy pelvis, spontaneous delivery can occur
in direct OP position known as the face to pubis delivery. In
most other cases of persistent OP positions in the second stage,
vaginal delivery may be achievable either by rotation to occipitoanterior position manually or with an instrument or a direct OP
delivery (face to pubis) by use of an instrument.

Prolonged pregnancy
Prolonged latent phase of labour
Primary dysfunctional labour/dystocia (slow progress)
Secondary arrest of cervical dilatation in labour
Prolonged second stage of labour
Obstructed labour
Operative interventions e dystocia or obstructed labour
leads to increased operative interventions either in the form
of instrumental delivery or caesarean section depending
upon the stage of labour and findings on clinical examination.

Occipitoposterior (OP) position

Diagnosis
Inspection of abdomen may reveal flattening below the level of
umbilicus. On palpation limbs are easily felt anteriorly and it is
difficult to palpate the fetal back. The anterior shoulder is
palpated at some distance from the midline. The prominences of
sinciput and occiput can both be felt at the same level above the
pubic symphysis suggesting deflexion. Vaginal examination
reveals the anterior fontanelle anteriorly and the posterior
fontanelle near the sacrum.

Normally when the fetal head engages into maternal pelvis, the
occiput usually lies laterally and then undergoes rotation anteriorly during labour in four out of five cases. Occipitoposterior
position is thus present in about 20% of fetuses in the early
stages of labour. However, even in these cases, most fetal heads
further undergo spontaneous rotation to occipitoanterior by the
time of delivery. Persistent occipitoposterior position therefore
occurs in approximately 10% of vertex deliveries. Occipitoposterior position is associated with a prolonged labour, increased
use of oxytocin, epidural analgesia, higher incidence of operative
deliveries as well as third or fourth degree perineal tears.

Prevention
A Cochrane review in 2007 assessed the effects of adopting
a hands and knees maternal posture in late pregnancy or
during labour when the presenting part of the fetus was in
a lateral or posterior position compared with no intervention.
Three trials (2794 women) were included. The authors reported that the use of hands and knees position for 10 min twice
daily to correct occipitoposterior position of the fetus in late
pregnancy could not be recommended as an intervention.
However, the use of the position in labour was associated with
reduced backache.

Causes
 High inclination pelvis
 Android or anthropoid type pelvis
 Use of intrapartum epidural analgesia (relaxation of the
pelvic floor muscles)
Weak uterine contractions and a relaxed pelvic floor may
contribute to the failure of the occiput to rotate anteriorly.
Mechanism of labour
Unlike the occipitoanterior position where the head is well flexed
and presents the smallest suboccipitobregmatic (9.5 cm) diameter
to the pelvis, in these cases the fetal head is deflexed and hence

Management
As many OP positions will spontaneously undergo rotation to
occipitoanterior during the course of labour, if OP position is

Occipitoposterior positions
a Right occipitoposterior

b Left occipitoposterior

c Direct occipitoposterior

PS

PS

PS

PS, pubic symphysis; S, sacrum

Figure 6

OBSTETRICS, GYNAECOLOGY AND REPRODUCTIVE MEDICINE 22:6

158

2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Author's personal copy

REVIEW

diagnosed in labour e an expectant management is recommended. Close watch on progress of labour and fetal monitoring
is required in view of possibility of prolonged labour. Oxytocin
should be used if needed to maintain good uterine activity (3e4
contractions every 10 min lasing more than 45 s). Previous
studies have shown that active management of labour with
oxytocin augmentation does help with the rotation to the occipitoanterior position. Delivery can occur spontaneously in OP
position but if instrumental delivery is required, careful abdominal and vaginal examinations are needed to establish whether
this is safe and appropriate. In difficult cases, use of ultrasonography to confirm position as well as senior help should be
sought.
If instrumental delivery is appropriate, the delivery can be
assisted by either rotating to the occipitoanterior position or
delivering in the occipitoposterior position. Rotational delivery
can be achieved manually or using an instrument. Manual
rotation involves flexing the fetal head to allow the rotation
followed by a traction delivery (using forceps or ventouse).
Rotational instrumental delivery is most commonly attempted
using vacuum extraction which brings about autorotation of
the vertex with the descent. The vacuum cup should be
placed over the flexion point of the vertex (3 cm anterior
to the posterior fontanelle in the midline over the sagittal
suture) and traction applied along the pelvic axis synchronous
with the uterine contractions and maternal bearing down
efforts.
Kjellands forceps can achieve rotation before traction and
delivery but safe use of this instrument requires considerable
training and supervision. Non-rotational forceps can be used for
deliberate delivery in the occipitoposterior position when the
head is very low but it should be remembered that there is
a higher likelihood of significant perineal trauma with such
deliveries. Caesarean section delivery may be needed either in
the first stage of labour for failure to progress or CTG abnormalities, or in second stage if vaginal delivery is deemed difficult. To avoid difficulty in delivery at caesarean, the fetal head
should be rotated and flexed before delivering in the transverse
position.

Occipitotransverse position
Occipitotransverse position will arise when the fetal head fails to
rotate to an occipitoanterior position and remains in a transverse
position. Asynclitism is associated with this malposition. A persistant occipitotransverse position can cause either obstructed
labour in the first stage or a deep transverse arrest in the second
stage of labour. If cervix is fully dilated and the head is below the
level of ischial spines, a manual rotation or an instrumental
rotational delivery using either the vacuum or Kjellands forceps
is possible.

Face presentation
The incidence of face presentation is reported to be between 1 in
500 and 1 in 1000 deliveries. The face presentation is a result of
complete extension of the fetal head and may start as an occipitoposterior position that extends further either before labour or
as labour progresses. Most face presentations are therefore
secondary and become evident in established labour. During
labour, some of the cases of face presentation will flex while the
others will persist as face. Although vaginal delivery is feasible in
many cases, caesarean delivery is very common once face
presentation is diagnosed during labour.
Causes
 Tumours of the fetal neck e.g. goitre or cystic hygroma
(usually diagnosed on antenatal ultrasound)
 Anencephaly
 Loops of cord around the neck
 Uterine abnormalities
 Prematurity
 Cephalopelvic disproportion
 Fetal musculoskeletal abnormalities
 Multiparity
 Multiple pregnancy
Mechanism
The mentum (chin) is the denominator (Figure 7) and the presenting diameter is submentobregmatic (9.5 cm). Most face
presentations are chin anterior (mentoanterior) in the maternal
pelvis and in such cases spontaneous/assisted vaginal delivery
can occur with the fetal head being born by flexion of the neck in
60e90% cases. Mentoposterior faces rotate to anterior spontaneously in 45% of cases but a persistent mentoposterior position
will not allow delivery of the skull under the pubic symphysis
and will necessitate delivery by caesarean section.
Diagnosis
Face presentation is usually diagnosed during labour. On
abdominal palpation, a large amount of head is palpable on the
same side as the back without a cephalic prominence on the
same side as the limbs. In thin women, a sharp angulation may
be felt between the fetal occiput and back. Confirmation is
usually on vaginal examination when the orbits, nose, mouth
and malar bones are palpable. The fetal mouth sucking on the
examiners finger is a classical sign! It is important to distinguish
face from breech by remembering that the malar prominences
and mouth form a triangle, whereas the ischial tuberosities and
the anus form a straight line.

Figure 7 Face presentation.

OBSTETRICS, GYNAECOLOGY AND REPRODUCTIVE MEDICINE 22:6

159

2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Author's personal copy

REVIEW

Management
Malpresentations of fetal head such as face or brow are infrequently encountered and much of the practice recommendations
are derived from clinical experience and consensus of expert
opinion. When face presentation is diagnosed during labour, the
woman should be informed of the findings. She should be made
aware that there may be facial swelling and bruising noted in the
baby soon after delivery however it is likely to resolve without
any permanent damage over the next few days. Regular
abdominal and gentle vaginal examinations should be undertaken to monitor progress while avoiding injury to fetal orbits/
face. If progress is good and the position is mentoanterior (or
rotating round to mentoanterior) then vaginal delivery can be
anticipated. If progress is slow or arrests, or if the position
remains mentoposterior, caesarean section is indicated. Fetal
blood sampling, use of a fetal scalp electrode and ventouse
delivery are contraindicated with a face presentation.
If the baby delivers vaginally, the fetal chin descends down
the symphysis pubis and the delivery of the head is completed by
flexion of the fetal neck bringing the occiput out last causing
considerable posterior perineal distension. In second stage with
failure to progress, a forceps delivery is possible although usually
confined to non-rotational forceps when the mentum is anterior
and head is low. Before application of forceps, it is vital to
confirm that no head is palpable per abdomen as the vaginal
findings can be misleading (because the chin is in the pelvis and
the occiput lies posteriorly). It is important to remember that the
head is always higher than you think and if the sacral hollow
feels empty then forceps should not be applied as the occiput
must still be in the abdomen. The biparietal diameter is usually
approximately 7 cm behind the advancing face so consequently,
even when the face is distending the vulva, the biparietal
diameter has only just entered the pelvis.
Even with favourable mentolateral or mentoanterior position,
if there is failure to progress the safer option for the fetus is
caesarean section in the first stage. At caesarean section care
should be taken with delivery of the fetal head to avoid extensions of the uterine incision.

Figure 8 Brow presentation.

Diagnosis
It is rare to diagnose brow presentation before onset of labour.
On abdominal examination much of the fetal head may be
palpable. On vaginal examination, the head has not descended
below the ischial spines and the root of the nose, supraorbital
ridges and anterior fontanelle are palpable.
Management
The brow discovered in early labour may flex or extend, and
early recourse to caesarean section on this finding alone should
be avoided. Nonetheless one should be alert to the signs of
obstructed labour, and preparations should be undertaken for
caesarean section and time allowed to see whether flexion or
extension takes place. Failure to progress in the next few hours in
labour with persistent brow indicates a caesarean section. In
extreme prematurity the fetus may descend as a brow and deliver
as a brow or may convert to a face or vertex after it reaches the
pelvic floor. As with the face presentation, care is required when
undertaking caesarean section to avoid extensions to the incision. The aim should be to flex the head with the delivering hand
before delivering it from the wound.
A

Brow presentation
The incidence of brow is between 1 in 700 and 1 in 1500
deliveries.
Causes
 Cephalopelvic disproportion
 Prematurity
In brow presentations, the head is deflexed and presents to the
pelvis with the largest anteroposterior diameter (Figure 8). Many
brow presentations in early labour are transient proceeding to
complete extension (face) or flexion (vertex) as labour
progresses.

FURTHER READING
1 Hunter S, Hofmeyr GJ, Kulier R. Hands and knees posture in late
pregnancy or labour for fetal malposition (lateral or posterior).
Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2007 Oct 17. Issue 4. Art. No.:
CD001063.
2 ODriscoll K, Jackson RJ, Gallagher JT. Prevention of prolonged labour.
Br Med J 1969 May 24; 2: 477e80.
3 Akmal S, PatersoneBrown S. Malpositions and malpresentations of the
fetal head. Obstet Gynaecol Reprod Med 2009; 19: 240e6.
4 Baskett TF, Calder AA, Arulkumaran S. Munro Kerrs operative obstetrics. In: Assisted vaginal delivery. 11th edn, vol. 8. Elsevier Ltd, 2007.
91e125.
5 Sizer A, Nirmal D. Occipitoposterior position: associated factors and
obstetric outcome in nulliparas. Obstet Gnaecol 2000; 96: 749e52.
part 1.

Mechanism
The fetal head presents with its largest mentovertical diameter
(13 cm) to the maternal pelvis and vaginal delivery is not
possible in an adequately grown term baby. Spontaneous
conversion to either vertex or face presentation by flexion or
further extension, respectively, may occur with advancing labour
especially if the fetus is small.

OBSTETRICS, GYNAECOLOGY AND REPRODUCTIVE MEDICINE 22:6

160

2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Author's personal copy

REVIEW

Practice points
C
C

Malpositions and malpresentations of fetal head are usually

diagnosed in labour.
Persistent occipitoposterior (OP) position is found in 10% of
vertex deliveries and is associated with prolonged first and
second stages of labour.
As many OP positions will spontaneously undergo rotation to
occipitoanterior during the course of labour, if OP position is
diagnosed in labour - an expectant management is recommended.
Oxytocin should be used if needed to maintain good uterine
activity (3e4 contractions every 10 min lasing more than 45 s).
Delivery can occur spontaneously in OP position but if
instrumental delivery is required, careful abdominal and

OBSTETRICS, GYNAECOLOGY AND REPRODUCTIVE MEDICINE 22:6

161

vaginal examinations are needed to establish whether this is

safe and appropriate.
Progressive deflexion of the fetal head can result in brow or
face malpresentations.
Most face presentations are secondary and become evident in
established labour. During labour, some of the cases of face
presentation will flex while the others will persist as face.
Although vaginal delivery is feasible, caesarean delivery is very
common once face presentation is diagnosed during labour.
The brow discovered in early labour may flex or extend, and
early recourse to caesarean section on this finding alone
should be avoided. Failure to progress in the next few
hours in labour with persistent brow indicates a caesarean
section.

2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.