Dystocia
Dystocia (antonym
eutocia; Ancient
Greek: tokos "childbirth") is an
abnormal or difficult childbirth
or labour. Approximately one fifth of human labours have dystocia.[1] Dystocia may
arise due to incoordinate uterine activity, abnormal fetal lie or presentation,
absolute or relative cephalopelvic disproportion, or (rarely) a massive fetal
tumor such as a sacrococcygeal
teratoma. Oxytocin
is commonly used to treat incoordinate uterine activity, but pregnancies complicated by
dystocia often end with assisted deliveries, including forceps,
ventouse or, commonly, caesarean section.
Recognized complications of dystocia include fetal death, respiratory
depression, hypoxic ischaemic encephalopathy (HIE), and brachial nerve
damage. A prolonged interval between pregnancies, primigravid birth, and
multiple birth have also been associated with increased risk for labor
dystocia.[1]
Shoulder dystocia is a
dystocia in which the anterior shoulder of the infant cannot pass below the pubic symphysis or requires
significant manipulation to pass below it. It can also be described as delivery
requiring additional manoeuvres after gentle downward traction on the head has
failed to deliver the shoulders.
A prolonged second stage of
labour is another type of dystocia whereby the fetus has not been delivered
within three hours in a nulliparous woman, or two hours in multiparous woman,
after her cervix has become fully dilated.
Synonyms for dystocia include
difficult labour, abnormal labour, difficult childbirth, abnormal childbirth,
and dysfunctional labour.
The term can also be used in the
context of various animals. Dystocia pertaining to birds and reptiles is also
called egg binding.
ConversionConversion EmoticonEmoticon