OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relation between breech at term and epilepsy in childhood, and identify risk factors for epilepsy in term breech infants.

STUDY DESIGN: Register-based study of all (n = 7514) singleton term infants without malformations, born between 1980 and 1994 and hospitalised with epilepsy until year 1996. For each case delivered in breech presentation (n = 290), the two subsequent deliveries of non-malformed, singleton infants delivered in breech presentation at term at the same hospital were selected as controls (n = 580).

RESULTS: Breech presentation was a risk factor for epilepsy (OR: 1.2 [95% CI: 1.1, 1.3]). Breech infants with epilepsy were more often small for gestational age (9.7%) than breech infants without epilepsy (4.7%). Vaginal delivery was associated with low Apgar score, but mode of delivery and low Apgar score were not related to epilepsy.

CONCLUSION: The increased risk of epilepsy in term breech infants is not related to intrapartum events, but to growth restriction in pregnancy.