Perdictors of shoulder dystocia : Evaluation of antenatal and intrapartum risk factors with reference to maternal and perinatal outcome

Abstract EN

Shoulder dystocia (SH.D) is defined where there is difficulty with delivery of the shoulders after delivering the fetal head.

The study was performed in the department of obstetrics and gynecology, Al-Aden hospital, Kuwait, during the 5 year period between first January 2001 and end of December 2005.

Over the study period there was a total 29 161 singleton deliveries of babies weighing > 500 g.

During the study period, there were a total of 59 cases of SH.

D., giving an incidence of 0.20 % of all deliveries and 0.23 % of all cephalic vaginal deliveries.

This incidence increased slightly-but insignificantly-by parity from the 6th baby.

Other factors ; maternal age, average weight gain during pregnancy, previous delivery of a heavy baby (> 4.5 Kg) and gestational age at delivery all showed no significant difference between the study group and controls.