| Cephalic presentation | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Vertex presentation, occiput anterior, William Smellie, 1792 | |
| Specialty | Obstetrics |
In obstetrics, a cephalic presentation or head presentation or head-first presentation is a situation at childbirth where the fetus is in a longitudinal lie and the head enters the pelvis first; the most common form of cephalic presentation is the vertex presentation, where the occiput is the leading part (the part that first enters the birth canal).[1] All other presentations are abnormal (malpresentations) and are either more difficult to deliver or not deliverable by natural means.
- ^ Hellman LM, Pritchard JA. Williams Obstetrics, 14th edition. Appleton-Century-Crofts (1971) Library of Congress Catalogue Card Number 73-133179. pp. 322–2.