What Are Some Of The Risk Factors For Shoulder Dystocia?
Not only does shoulder dystocia pose a risk to the mother, it poses an even greater risk to the child. Due to cord compression, doctors must quickly work to free the baby to prevent a reduced level of blood and oxygen. The following items found below are some of what doctors use to determine if there may be an increased risk of shoulder dystocia [1] complications during delivery:
Increasing Fetal Weight: This is known as fetal macrosomia. Doctors should be aware if the baby is greater than 4000g, or 8.8 lbs
Maternal Body Mass Index: Mothers who are obese come with an increased risk of shoulder dystocia. An increased fetal birth rate can be linked to a mother’s obesity in some cases
Prior Shoulder Dystocia Delivery
Diabetes
Gestational Diabetes: Both forms of diabetes pose an increased risk of shoulder dystocia because both conditions can increase the fetal weight.
Post-Term Pregnancy: A pregnancy greater than 42 weeks.
Doctors have a duty to talk with their patients about the various risks which increase the chances of suffering from shoulder dystocia during delivery. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists suggest [2] that doctors discuss the following items with mothers in determining where a vaginal or C-Section delivery is appropriate:
Estimated Fetal Weight
Gestational Age
Maternal Glucose Intolerance
Severity Of Prior Neonatal Injury
Additionally, doctors must be prepared for a shoulder dystocia case, especially when select risk factors are present. If the doctor is inexperienced with a shoulder dystocia delivery, it is not unfamiliar for the doctor to have a more senior doctor available for assistance.
[1] US National Library of Medicine National Institute of Health Shoulder Dystocia: Prediction and Management https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5375046/
[2] American Family Physician ACOG Releases Practice Pattern on Shoulder Dystocia https://www.aafp.org/afp/1998/0515/p2546.html
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