Effect of regional anesthesia on the success rate of external cephalic version: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Summary: When a baby is positioned feet-first (breech) late in pregnancy, doctors often try a procedure called External Cephalic Version (ECV) to turn the baby head-down for a safer delivery. A comprehensive review of medical studies reveals that using regional anesthesia—like a spinal or epidural block—during this procedure significantly helps. By relaxing the mother's muscles and reducing pain, anesthesia boosts the success rate of turning the baby from roughly 38% to nearly 60%. This approach is safe and may help more women avoid Cesarean sections.