Labour: Burns-Marshall method: practice question

A OBG question in the style of the NEET PG paper. Answer it first, then read why the right option is right and why each of the others is wrong.

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OBG · Labour: Burns-Marshall method

Sample item

During a vaginal breech delivery, the trunk and arms are delivered and the baby is allowed to hang until the nape of the neck is visible under the pubic arch. The assistant then holds the feet and raises the body in an arc over the mother's abdomen to deliver the head. Which manoeuvre is this?

Original practice item, not a recalled exam question. Nothing here is recorded.

The answer and the reasoning

A. Burns-Marshall method

In the Burns-Marshall method the body hangs by its own weight so that the nape reaches the pubic arch, and the head is then born by swinging the body upward. Lovset delivers the arms, Mauriceau-Smellie-Veit uses finger flexion of the head, and Pinard frees the legs in a frank breech.

Option by option

  • A. Burns-Marshall method (correct)

    Correct. Hanging of the body followed by an arc-like lift is the Burns-Marshall method.

  • B. Lovset manoeuvre

    Lovset's manoeuvre is a rotation of the body to deliver the arms.

  • C. Mauriceau-Smellie-Veit manoeuvre

    The Mauriceau-Smellie-Veit manoeuvre applies the fetus astride the forearm with flexion of the head by fingers on the maxilla.

  • D. Pinard manoeuvre

    Pinard's manoeuvre is used to deliver the legs in a frank breech by pressing in the popliteal fossa.

Source note: Original NextPrep sample item — pending expert review. This item is original practice material awaiting independent expert review, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.

More OBG questions

Questions about this OBG question

What is the answer to this OBG question?

The best answer is A, Burns-Marshall method. In the Burns-Marshall method the body hangs by its own weight so that the nape reaches the pubic arch, and the head is then born by swinging the body upward.

Why is "Lovset manoeuvre" not the answer?

Lovset's manoeuvre is a rotation of the body to deliver the arms.

Why is "Mauriceau-Smellie-Veit manoeuvre" not the answer?

The Mauriceau-Smellie-Veit manoeuvre applies the fetus astride the forearm with flexion of the head by fingers on the maxilla.

Why is "Pinard manoeuvre" not the answer?

Pinard's manoeuvre is used to deliver the legs in a frank breech by pressing in the popliteal fossa.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Labour: Burns-Marshall method in OBG. Lovset delivers the arms, Mauriceau-Smellie-Veit uses finger flexion of the head, and Pinard frees the legs in a frank breech.

How hard is this question?

We tag it as a multi-step question: it asks you to combine more than one idea. The tag is our own editorial judgement, not an official difficulty rating, so read the reason for every option, not only the answer.

How should I study Labour: Burns-Marshall method?

Learn management algorithms as steps: PPH, eclampsia, ectopic pregnancy. Then use the flashcards and the other OBG questions on this site to test what stuck.

Is this a real NEET PG question?

No. It is an original practice item (editorial status: sample, version 1). NextPrep does not publish recalled or leaked questions, and independent faculty review of this item has not been completed yet, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.