Blog: Birth Injury

Know the Risk: Questions to Ask about Shoulder Dystocia

Nov 9, 2015

Obstetricians must act quickly when a baby is suffering from shoulder dystocia – meaning his or her shoulder is stuck behind the mother’s pubic bone during delivery. Too much pressure or pulling too hard can tear a newborn’s brachial plexus nerves and cause lifelong issues. Shoulder dystocia can occur when a large infant, called a macrosomic baby, is too big to deliver normally. There are many risk factors for fetal macrosomia, including an overdue pregnancy, maternal...