ABSTRACT: We compared bone outcomes in children with breech and cephalic presentation at delivery. Neonatal whole-body bone mineral content (BMC) and area were lower in children with breech presentation. At 4 years, no differences in whole-body or spine measures were found, but hip BMC and area were lower after breech presentation. INTRODUCTION:Breech presentation is associated with altered joint shape and hip dysplasias, but effects on bone mineral content (BMC), area (BA) and density (BMD) are unknown. METHODS:In the prospective Southampton Women's Survey mother-offspring cohort, whole-body bone outcomes were measured using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) in 1430 offspring, as neonates (mean age 6 days, n?=?965, 39 with a breech presentation at birth) and/or at age 4.1 years (n?=?999, 39 breech). Hip and spine bone outcomes were also measured at age 4 years. RESULTS:Neonates with breech presentation had 4.2 g lower whole-body BMC (95% CI -7.4 to -?0.9 g, P?=?0.012) and 5.9 cm2 lower BA (-?10.8 to -?1.0 cm2, P?=?0.019), but BMD was similar between groups (mean difference -?0.007, -?0.016 to 0.002 g/cm2, P?=?0.146) adjusting for sex, maternal smoking, gestational diabetes, mode of delivery, social class, parity, ethnicity, age at scan, birthweight, gestational age and crown-heel length. There were no associations between breech presentation and whole-body outcomes at age 4 years, but, in similarly adjusted models, regional DXA (not available in infants) showed that breech presentation was associated with lower hip BMC (-?0.51, -?0.98 to -?0.04 g, P?=?0.034) and BA (-?0.67, -?1.28 to -?0.07 cm2, P?=?0.03) but not with BMD (-?0.009, -?0.029 to 0.012 g, P?=?0.408), or spine outcomes. CONCLUSIONS:These results suggest that breech presentation is associated with lower neonatal whole-body BMC and BA, which may relate to altered prenatal loading in babies occupying a breech position; these differences did not persist into later childhood. Modest differences in 4-year hip BMC and BA require further investigation.