The objectives of this study were to (a) determine if a safe, simple, and economic nursing procedure -- maternal posturing -- would result in the rotation of a fetus in the posterior or transverse position to the optimal anterior position and (b) evaluate the relative effectiveness of a series of maternal postures for facilitating anterior fetal rotation. One hundred healthy women at term pregnancy were randomly assigned to four treatment and one control posture for a 10-minute period. At two nurse-midwifery clinics, one certified nurse-midwife postured the subjects and one midwife measured the dependent variable (fetal position) with Leopold's maneuvers. Hypotheses I to IV, which predicted that the four rotation postures would have a greater proportion of anterior fetal rotations than the control posture, were supported (p < 0.000). Essentially all four postures were effective and there was little difference between the treatment postures. A second posturing was performed to determine if an additional 10 minutes in a treatment posture would result in an anterior fetal position. There was a greater proportion of anterior fetal rotations with the four rotation postures than the control posture. The Sims posture was used as a maintenance posture for anterior positions, and was successful when done on the opposite side of the fetal back. The theoretical explication of how maternal postures effect fetal rotation remains sound.

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