What are the causes of shoulder dystocia?

Every pregnant mother hopes to give birth to a baby smoothly, but various situations during pregnancy can catch people off guard. Shoulder dystocia is often related to misassessment and failure to take a cesarean section. Shoulder dystocia is also dangerous. If the labor process is too long, it is easy to cause fetal hypoxia and suffocation due to prolonged delivery. So, what is the cause of shoulder dystocia?

Shoulder dystocia is a complication of delivery. It refers to a situation in which the fetal shoulder is stuck at the pelvic outlet after the fetal head is delivered and cannot be delivered. The incidence of shoulder dystocia is 0.15%-1.7%, which usually occurs in macrosomia. Moreover, the shoulder dystocia rate increases with the increase in the average weight of the fetus. In addition, shoulder dystocia can also be caused if the fetus is not adjusted to the optimal position when passing through the birth canal. Although the probability of shoulder dystocia is not high, once it occurs, it will cause great harm to both the pregnant woman and the fetus if the opportunity is missed or it is not handled properly.

1. Macrosomia - that is, a fetus with a birth weight of more than 4,000 grams. Such fetuses often have thick fat deposits on their shoulders, causing shoulder delivery difficulties. The trunk of a giant baby born to a diabetic pregnant woman grows faster than the fetal head, which is more likely to cause shoulder dystocia. When the fetus weighs more than 4,000 grams but less than 4,500 grams, the incidence of shoulder dystocia is 3% to 12%, and when it exceeds 4,500 grams, the incidence is 8.4% to 22.6%.

2. Narrow pelvis - especially a flat pelvis is more prone to shoulder dystocia.

3. The pelvic tilt is too large and the pubic symphysis is too low.

Warm reminder: pregnant mothers should have regular check-ups. If the fetus is in poor condition, a caesarean section should be used to deliver the baby. This can effectively avoid shoulder dystocia. Pregnant mothers cannot give birth naturally or force a birth.