Question

Patient with infraumbilical flattening & fetal heart rate heard laterally, what is the presentation?

• A. Occipitoposterior
• B. Knee
• C. Brow
• D. Right dorsoanterior

Answer 1

The Correct Option is A

The key to determining the presentation in the given scenario involves understanding the signs mentioned and matching them with the typical presentations in obstetrics.

• Infraumbilical Flattening: This symptom indicates that the abdomen is flatter below the umbilicus, which often occurs when the fetal occiput is directed posteriorly or towards the mother's spine.
• Fetal Heart Rate Heard Laterally: If the fetal heart tones are heard more laterally, it can suggest that the fetal back is not oriented anteriorly towards the maternal abdominal wall but is more lateral or even posterior.

Using these observations, we can analyze the options:

• Occipitoposterior: In this presentation, the fetal occiput (the back of the head) is positioned posteriorly towards the mother's spine. This can result in infraumbilical flattening, as the larger fetal back is not pressing outward against the midline abdomen. Fetal heart tones are often heard laterally rather than anteriorly.
• Knee, Brow, Right Dorsoanterior: These presentations do not typically correlate with the combination of infraumbilical flattening and laterally detected fetal heart tones.

Therefore, based on the signs presented:

Correct Presentation: Occipitoposterior