[Shoulder dystocia--risk factors and fetal outcome]

The purpose of this retrospective study is to evaluate the perinatal outcome in cases with birth injuries, suggesting shoulder dystocia. This survey involves 92 cases of live newborns (gestational age between 37 and 42 weeks) with shoulder injuries. Another control group of 120 cases of live mature newborns without any shoulder injuries is studied for comparison. There are no significant differentialities between those two groups, regarding age, parity, weight and height of the parturients. Shoulder dystocia is most frequently found in newborns of 3500-4000 g birthweight. Antepartum, risk factors for shoulder dystocia are: diabetes, obesity of the mother and chronological postterm pregnancy. Intrapartum, the evaluated risk factors prove to be unreliable because the same were found in as many as one half of the non-traumatic vaginal deliveries. In 27% of the cases, shoulder dystocia occurs most probably after the passage of the shoulder through the pelvic inlet. The most frequent type of shoulder injury is fracture of the clavicle (90.2%), followed by paresis of the brachial plexus (7.6%). Severe shoulder dystocia both from obstetrical and neonatological point of view is found in 2-3% of the cases.