Question

A nurse reads in a womans chart that the fetus is in a longitudinal lie. What can the nurse conclude about this situation?

A. The fetal head is flexed prior to delivery.
B. The fetal head-to-tailbone axis is at a 90 angle to the womans head-to-tailbone axis.
C. The fetal head-to-tailbone axis is the same as the womans head-to-tailbone axis.
D. Vaginal birth will be very difficult.

Answer 1

A longitudinal lie means the fetal head-to-tailbone axis is at a 90 angle to the woman's head-to-tailbone axis. Vaginal birth can still be possible, but may be more difficult.

Step-by-step explanation:

A longitudinal lie in an obstetric context means that the fetus is positioned lengthwise along the mother's body, with the head either pointing downwards or upwards. In this case, the nurse can conclude that the fetal head-to-tailbone axis is not the same as the woman's head-to-tailbone axis.

This means that the correct answer is B. The fetal head-to-tailbone axis is at a 90 angle to the woman's head-to-tailbone axis.

Vaginal birth can still be possible, although it may be more difficult in this situation.