Vacuum extraction

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Vacuum extraction
A baby's scalp showing the effects of a vacuum extraction (chignon). The effects were gone a week later.
Other names	Ventouse, vacuum-assisted vaginal delivery
ICD-9-CM	72.7
[edit on Wikidata]

Vacuum extraction (VE), also known as ventouse, is a method to assist delivery of a baby using a vacuum device. It is used in the second stage of labor if it has not progressed adequately. It may be an alternative to a forceps delivery and caesarean section. It cannot be used when the baby is in the breech position or for premature births. The use of VE is generally safe, but it can occasionally have negative effects on either the mother or the child.^[1] The term ventouse comes from the French word for "suction cup".