Is shoulder dystocia common in obstetrics and gynecology? What are the risks of shoulder dystocia?

Shoulder dystocia is common in obstetrics and gynecology, and there are many risks in shoulder dystocia.

A lot will happen on the delivery platform. Even though modern medical technology is excellent, there are still many obstetric emergencies that cannot be predicted in advance. Shoulder dystocia is a big challenge that doctors may face. So far, it is difficult to predict the risk of shoulder dystocia before delivery. If shoulder dystocia occurs during childbirth, the fetus may break, and in severe cases, it may cause brachial plexus injury, or even die of hypoxia. When shoulder dystocia occurs, both mother and fetus are in danger, and the danger of fetus is even greater than that of mother.

The definition of shoulder dystocia is controversial in academia, but there is still a lack of understanding. Generally speaking, it refers to the situation that the fetal head has been delivered but the shoulder is stuck in the mother's pelvis when the baby is delivered through the vagina. Xu Hongzhi, an attending physician in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology of Taiwan Province Provincial Hospital, said that during delivery, the fetus should be turned out and face down, which is helpful for a smooth delivery. The fetal front shoulder is stuck in the mother's pubic arch, and occasionally the back shoulder is stuck in the sacral promontory, or both. At this time, it will be called shoulder dystocia clinically, which needs urgent treatment. Normal delivery takes an average of 24 seconds from the delivery of fetal head to the complete separation of the body from the mother's birth canal. Some scholars believe that during vaginal delivery, if the delivery process from the fetal head to the body exceeds 60 seconds, it is shoulder dystocia.

Usually, before delivery, doctors will judge whether pregnant women can give birth naturally according to factors such as whether the fetal position is correct and whether placenta previa exists. Under normal circumstances, the fetus only needs to pass through its head during childbirth, but shoulder dystocia means that the body is stuck in the mother through its head. In this case, it is necessary to decide whether to continue delivery or caesarean section as soon as possible, otherwise the retracted fetus may suffocate and die. The incidence of shoulder dystocia is not high, generally between 0.2% and 3.0%. However, even if modern medical technology is so advanced, the risk of shoulder dystocia is unpredictable. Therefore, it is a big challenge for doctors to minimize the harm of maternity and newborn. The above is the answer about whether shoulder dystocia is common in obstetrics and gynecology and what risks it has.