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Dystocia

Last reviewed dd mmm yyyy. Last edited dd mmm yyyy

Authoring team

Dystocia is defined as the slow or painful birth of a child.

Labour is deemed obstructed when there is no progress despite strong uterine contractions.

Both disorders may be thought of in terms of abnormalities in the following:

  • powers
  • passage
  • passenger

Shoulder dystocia is a specific example of dystocia where there is an inability to deliver the shoulder after the head has been delivered.


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