Shoulder Dystocia

Abstract

Background: Shoulder dystocia is an unpredictable, unpreventable obstetric emergency fraught with a universally accepted definition, no consensus management, and a wide variation in reported incidence worldwide. Aim: The aim of this review is to create awareness to Obstetricians and residents in training, guidelines and a plan of action to the management of this obstetric emergency. Methods: Review of pertinent literature on shoulder dystocia, selected references, conference papers, technical reports, journal articles, abstracts, and internet articles using Medline, Google scholar and Pubmed databases were critically reviewed. Results: Shoulder dystocia is associated with 1% risk of serious long term disability or death in the neonates. The relative infrequency of shoulder dystocia and lack of standardized management means that few Obstetricians are truly experienced in the management of this obstetric emergency. Multiple maneuvers can be applied in an attempt to alleviate the dystocia. Conclusion: Shoulder dystocia is highly unpredictable obstetric emergency which requires that all labour ward practitioners must possess a detailed knowledge of the condition and how to overcome it.