O66.0: Obstructed labour due to shoulder dystocia
In the pelvis there are various pelvic bones. At the back of the body the pelvic bones are connected to the sacrum of the spinal column. There is a joint on either side of the sacrum for this purpose. The pelvic bones plus the sacrum form the bony pelvic ring or girdle. In front, the pelvic bones are tightly joined to one another by ligaments and cartilage fiber.
There are different levels within the pelvis. During the birth the child must pass through the different levels. In a normal birth the child passes through the pelvis head first. For the child’s body to pass through the various stages, it has to turn at different points. If the body does not turn properly, the shoulders can get stuck in the pelvis. It may then be that the child's head has been born but the rest of the body is stuck. This can happen with particularly big babies, for example.
If the child's shoulders get stuck in the pelvis, the birth may take longer than usual. It may also be the case that the child cannot then be born in the usual way, but that a Caesarean is required.
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