Cephalopelvic disproportion or PCD is one of the main obstetric alterations for which complications in childbirth can be expected. We speak of alterations in labor when the expected patterns of decreased presentation and cervical dilation do not occur according to the marked time sequence.
Although the pathologies and problems cannot be eradicated, thanks to the advances we have made at the medical level and more specifically at the obstetric level, something like childbirth, which not so long ago represented a considerable risk for the woman and the baby, Today it has become a much safer and more straightforward process.
In the following FastlyHealarticle, we will give you a description of cephalopelvic disproportion and the impact it has Today.
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Meaning of cephalopelvic disproportion or DCP
Cephalopelvic disproportion (PCD) is an obstetric disorder characterized by an insurmountable difference in size between the head of the fetus -and future baby- and the maternal birth canal. This means that either the head of the fetus is too large or the birth canal is too small for it to be delivered naturally through vaginal delivery.
It should be said that it is practically impossible to find a true PCD since most of them are due to unusual malformations of the pelvis or accidents that have caused the canal to narrow; on the contrary, most of the diagnoses of cephalopelvic disproportion are a poor positioning of the baby in antiphysiological postures or simply the result of little patience. There are few cases of women diagnosed with PCD. They have had to undergo a cesarean section and have subsequently been able to deliver babies even more significantly than the first through vaginal delivery.
Diagnosis of DCP
It is tough to diagnose cephalopelvic disproportion before labor begins. The tools we have give us an approximate but never exact idea of what the baby will be like or how much the mother can dilate.
The ultrasound can estimate the size of the fetus; however, it cannot determine precisely what the fetal weight will be; therefore, it is not until the progress of labor is lengthened that the spread of the pelvis is insufficient to facilitate the exit of the baby and the correct functioning of the delivery and the medical treatment based on oxytocin is provided without success that cephalopelvic disproportion is diagnosed.
More unusual than it seems
According to studies in the United States, cephalopelvic disproportion is rare; it only occurs in 1 out of every 250 pregnancies. We must add that these DCPs are seldom accurate, but other complications that can occur in one part are grouped in this section. The American journal Journal of Public Health carried out a study in which they calculated that 65% of women diagnosed with cephalopelvic disproportion could have vaginal deliveries in subsequent pregnancies.
This article is merely informative, at FastlyHeal .com we do not have the power to prescribe medical treatments or make any type of diagnosis. We invite you to see a doctor in the case of presenting any type of condition or discomfort.
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I am a Surgeon with a diploma in comprehensive ultrasound and surgical care residency, an area I am specializing in. During the exercise of my profession, I have realized the need for patients to know the diseases they suffer, and I can tell you that a large part of their complications is due to a lack of information. Being a health web writer allows me to transmit my experience, without borders, to all those readers eager for knowledge, educate them in the prevention of diseases and promote a healthy lifestyle.