Obstructed Labour (难产)

The term ‘obstructed labour’ indicates a failure to progress due to mechanical problems—a mismatch between fetal size, or more accurately, the size of the presenting part of the fetus, and the mother’s pelvis, although some malpresentations, notably a brow presentation or a shoulder presentation (the latter in association with a transverse lie) will also cause obstruction. Pathological enlargement of the fetal head, as in hydrocephalus, may also (though rarely) obstruct labour. Difficult labour may also be associated with an occipito-posterior position of the fetal head and with ineffective uterine contractions (the latter often described as ‘dysfunctional labour’). These different causes of dystocia (difficult labour) may co-exist.

难产，医学术语叫做“异常分娩”，一般是指产道、胎儿、产力等任一因素的异常而导致的分娩困难，同时产妇的心理因素也对生产有很大影响。异常分娩一般会使生产时间延长，同时对胎儿和产妇造成危害，危急时甚至会影响母子二人的生命安全。常见的异常分娩案例有胎位不正、产妇骨盆狭窄、脐带绕颈等情况。