Shoulder Dystocia Risk Factors
Tip: Highlight text to annotate itX
Erb's Palsy or shoulder dystocia cases can result from the or arise out of the prenatal
care. There are times where there are certain risk factors that the mother has that should
lead the obstetrician to at least suspect the possibility of a shoulder dystocia, and
if those risk factors are present, then the obstetrician has an obligation to advise the
mother of those risks and to discuss the option of an elected cesarean section. Just some
of the risk factors for a shoulder dystocia, which is an obstetrical complication, are
excessive maternal weight gain. It could be maternal diabetes. Also, if there's a history
of large or macrosomic babies in the past, if the mother's had other large babies or
had other cases of shoulder dystocia, those are all risk factors. That should lead the
obstetrician to believe that we may need to consider an elective cesarean section.
