Position of the Fetus 537 



owing to compression of the umbilic cord before the fetus is in a 

 position to breathe, and also because of the great tendency for 

 deviation of the limbs to occur or for some unfavorable position 

 of ■ the fetus to exist, which may bring abotit more or less serious 

 dystokia. 



The transverse presentations of the fetus, whether dorsal or 

 ventral, offer, in each, two positions. The fetus necessarily lies 

 horizontally, since any other attitude would be unstable, and the 

 head must lie in the right or left flank of the mother, correspond- 

 ing more or less intimately to the right or left maternal ilium. 

 Accepting the fetal head as the fixed point of the fetus for desig- 

 nating its position, there may exist either a right or left cephalo- 

 ilial position, according as the head end of the fetus corresponds 

 to the right or left ilium of the mother.* 



The presentations and positions, normal and abnormal, which 

 a fetus may assume may be tabulated as follows : 



{Anterior Presentation"] j" Dorso-Sacral Position 

 \ \ Right or Left Dorso-Ilial Position 

 Posterior Presentation J \ Dorso-Pubic Position 



Transverse 1^°-;/--^^^^^^^ } { RigM or Left Cephalo- Ilial Position 



This gives a total of twelve fundamental positions, most of 

 , which are abnormal. These positions may be further compli- 

 cated by a great variety of deviations of the extremities. 



*According to some writers, there may be in the dorsal presentation a 

 cephalo- sacral position, but they cite no clinical instances and the position 

 is so unstable as to be at least very transitory if not impossible. 



