Causes of shoulder dystocia during childbirth

A shoulder dystocia is an emergency during childbirth that occurs when the baby’s head has come out but his shoulders are stuck and cannot be born naturally. A shoulder dystocia can be due to a number of reasons, as described below. If any of these causes have resulted in shoulder dystocia and erb’s palsy in you or a loved one, consider hiring an erb’s palsy attorney right away.

Causes of shoulder dystocia

  • Trapped shoulders: Sometimes during delivery, the fetus’s shoulders can get caught behind the mother’s pelvic bone. This can cause shoulder dystocia, as the shoulders get stuck and cannot be delivered properly. In fact, this is one of the leading causes of shoulder dystocia during childbirth. It is also believed that applying excessive fondal pressure (downward pressure on the womb) to help the baby descend into the birth canal can also cause your shoulders to enter behind the pelvis, leading to dystocia of shoulders.
  • Incorrect rotation of the baby’s shoulders during delivery: Since shoulder dystocia and the resulting injuries to the brachial plexus are becoming the basis of most medical malpractice cases in recent times, doctors and obstetricians are doing everything possible to prevent shoulder dystocia from occurring in first place. As a result, the practice of manual rotation of the baby’s head is increasingly carried out during labor. By turning the baby’s head, his shoulders can be aligned in the anteroposterior diameter of the birth canal, which is the correct position to facilitate delivery of the shoulders. However, some doctors may rotate the shoulders incorrectly, leading to shoulder dystocia.
  • Apply unnecessary lateral traction: Sometimes there may be a slight delay in delivery of the baby’s shoulders after his head has cleared the birth canal. This can be a natural delay and does not necessarily indicate dystocia. However, inexperienced doctors (and even some with experience) may not recognize the difference and may panic. Therefore, excessive lateral traction can be applied to the baby’s neck to release the shoulders. But, on the contrary, lateral traction only serves to push the baby’s head towards either of his shoulders and these get stuck, causing shoulder dystocia instead of helping him to move forward.
  • The baby’s shoulders bend inward during delivery: Sometimes a baby’s shoulders can bend inward during delivery. When this happens, it becomes more difficult to push the shoulders out and dystocia can occur. In addition to this, dystocia can also occur if the baby is poorly presented (not head-down presentation) or poorly positioned (incorrectly positioned with shoulders first, etc.) at birth.
  • Epidural administration: An epidural is a type of anesthesia given to help the mother through labor. Reduces labor pain, but contractions are still normal for a painless vaginal delivery. As a result of the epidural, the mother loses most of the sensation of pushing. When this happens, the thrust does not occur naturally, which can cause the fetus to descend incorrectly into the birth canal. This, in turn, results in an impacted shoulder, causing shoulder dystocia.
  • Improper use of forceps during labor: Forceps is a medical device used to aid in the birthing process. A forceps looks like a pair of pliers and is usually grasped around the baby’s head so that the baby can be helped out of the birth canal. It is true that forceps can be very effective in difficult deliveries, but when used incorrectly they can also cause serious injury. In the chaos of labor and especially when it is not progressing smoothly, it is too easy for the doctor to grasp the forceps too tightly, thus injuring the baby in the process. Incorrect handling of the forceps can also turn the baby’s head in the wrong direction, thus impacting his shoulders and causing shoulder dystocia.
  • Incorrect use of the vacuum extractor: A vacuum pump is another medical product that is used to aid in childbirth. The soft plastic cup of the vacuum pump is attached to the top of the baby’s head and then the doctor gently applies vacuum pressure, thus moving the fetus to the proper position for the desired delivery. However, the doctor may apply too much pressure, which can damage the nerves and lead to brachial plexus palsy. In some cases, excessive suctioning or improper maneuvering of the baby into the birth canal can lead to shoulder impaction and eventually shoulder dystocia.

    Therefore, as is clear from the above, many factors can cause shoulder dystocia during childbirth. And the most unfortunate part of all of this is that most (if not all) of these causes of shoulder dystocia can be prevented by adopting standard delivery maneuvers during labor and using medical delivery products correctly.

    If you have a child who has suffered from shoulder dystocia at birth and has subsequent brachial plexus injuries such as Erb’s palsy, you may have grounds for a valid Erb’s palsy claim. Contact an experienced shoulder dystocia attorney to determine if your child can receive financial compensation for brachial plexus injuries.

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