Which of the following statements about breech presentation is MOST correct?

• A. The head is the presenting part.
• B. The buttocks are the presenting part.
• C. The feet are the presenting part.
• D. The shoulders are the presenting part.

Answer: (B)

In breech presentation, the part of the fetus that enters the birth canal first is not the head but the buttocks (and sometimes the feet). Describing the buttocks as the presenting part captures the defining feature of breech, since the head normally leads in a standard, head-first birth. Saying the head is the presenting part would describe a cephalic presentation, which is not breech. While a footling breech involves feet presenting first, the most representative description of breech is the buttocks presenting part, and a shoulder presenting part would indicate a transverse lie or shoulder dystocia rather than breech. So, the buttocks being the presenting part is the most accurate description of breech presentation.