Shoulder dystocia refers to the position of the fetus's shoulder at the bottom of the pelvis, that is, the shoulder is positioned on the cervix. This condition can be diagnosed before or during labor. Since the fetus is lying horizontally, it is impossible to pass through the cervix, of course, and cannot be delivered naturally. This kind of shoulder dystocia is like the common saying 'crossing the firewood across the stove'. It cannot pass through the birth canal. Therefore, cesarean section is necessary to deliver the fetus. The fetal position during shoulder dystocia (difficult shoulder delivery) is normal, so it cannot be predicted in advance; shoulder dystocia is an abnormal fetal position that can be predicted in advance that it will not be born. When the fetal head has been delivered outside the body, but the shoulders are stuck in the birth canal, the umbilical cord blood flow is compressed and cannot supply blood to the baby. If the baby cannot be delivered within a few minutes, it is likely to cause intellectual damage due to oxygen deficiency, even death. At this time, even if cesarean section is performed immediately, it is of no help.
Shoulder dystocia is a rare fetal position abnormality. The incidence of shoulder dystocia is approximately10One of the 00 cephalic presentations has one. In shoulder dystocia, one side of the fetus's scapula gets stuck on the mother's pubis, obstructing the fetus in the birth canal. When the fetal head appears, it seems as if the head is pulled back, tightly adhering to the vaginal orifice. The fetus's chest is compressed by the birth canal, and due to the pressure from the perineum, the fetus's mouth cannot open. This makes it difficult for the doctor to perform endotracheal intubation, resulting in the fetus being unable to breathe, in4~5Within a minute, the blood oxygen level decreases, and the fetus is oxygen-deficient. This complication is more common in macrosomia. Especially before the fetal head completely enters the birth canal, fetal asphyxia is more likely to occur when forceps delivery is needed, but not all macrosomia will result in shoulder dystocia.
During shoulder dystocia, the doctor must quickly try various methods to deliver the fetal scapula so that the fetus can be delivered vaginally. If vaginal delivery fails, it is very difficult to push the fetus back into the vagina, and cesarean section is used to end labor.