NORMAL LABOR Flashcards
What is the process of labor?
Labor is the process that leads to childbirth, starting with the onset of regular uterine contractions and ending with delivery of the newborn and expulsion of the placenta.
What does fetal lie describe?
Fetal lie describes the relationship of the fetal long axis to that of the mother, with most term labors presenting a longitudinal lie.
What is a transverse lie?
A transverse lie occurs when the fetal and maternal axes are perpendicular to each other.
What is a fetal presentation?
Fetal presentation is the part of the fetal body closest to or within the birth canal, determined through vaginal examination.
What are the types of cephalic presentations?
Cephalic presentations include vertex (occiput), face, sinciput, and brow presentations, depending on head position and neck flexion or extension.
What is the most common fetal presentation at term?
The most common fetal presentation at term is occiput (vertex) presentation.
What are the three general breech configurations?
The three breech configurations are frank, complete, and footling presentations.
What is fetal attitude or habitus?
Fetal attitude refers to the characteristic posture of the fetus in late pregnancy, typically with a convex back and flexed head, thighs, and legs.
What happens to fetal attitude in face presentations?
In face presentations, the fetal head is hyperextended, leading to a concave contour of the vertebral column.
What is fetal position?
Fetal position refers to the relationship of a defined fetal presenting part (e.g., occiput, chin, sacrum) to the right or left side of the birth canal.
What are common abbreviations for fetal positions?
Common abbreviations include OA, ROA, LOA, ROP, LOP, ROT, LOT, and OP, describing occiput positions relative to the maternal pelvis.
What is the presenting landmark in shoulder presentations?
The presenting landmark in shoulder presentations is the acromion process of the scapula.
What are the tools to diagnose fetal presentation and position?
Tools include Leopold maneuvers, vaginal examination, and sonography.
What is the purpose of the first Leopold maneuver?
The first Leopold maneuver assesses the uterine fundus to identify fetal lie and presentation.
What is identified in the second Leopold maneuver?
The second Leopold maneuver identifies the position of the fetal back and extremities.
What does the third Leopold maneuver determine?
The third Leopold maneuver confirms the fetal presentation by palpating the lower maternal abdomen.
What does the fourth Leopold maneuver assess?
The fourth Leopold maneuver assesses the degree of fetal descent into the pelvis.
What are the limitations of Leopold maneuvers?
Leopold maneuvers can be difficult to perform in obese patients, with excess amniotic fluid, or when the placenta is anteriorly implanted.
What is the diagnostic accuracy of Leopold maneuvers for fetal malpresentation?
Leopold maneuvers have high sensitivity (88%) and specificity (94%) for identifying fetal malpresentation.
How is sonography used in labor?
Sonography confirms fetal presentation, position, and helps clarify head position, especially during the second stage of labor.
What are the cardinal movements of labor?
Engagement, descent, flexion, internal rotation, extension, external rotation, and expulsion.
What does engagement refer to in an occiput presentation?
Passage of the biparietal diameter through the pelvic inlet.
What is the common fetal head position during engagement?
The vertex enters the pelvis with the sagittal suture lying in the transverse pelvic diameter.
What is asynclitism?
Lateral deflection of the sagittal suture to a more anterior or posterior position in the pelvis.
What defines anterior asynclitism?
When the sagittal suture approaches the sacral promontory and more of the anterior parietal bone presents.
What defines posterior asynclitism?
When the sagittal suture lies close to the symphysis and more of the posterior parietal bone presents.
What are the forces contributing to fetal descent?
Direct myometrial pressure of the fundus, maternal bearing-down efforts, and extension/straightening of the fetal body.
What triggers fetal head flexion during labor?
Resistance from the cervix, pelvic walls, or pelvic floor.
What is the significance of fetal head flexion?
It allows the shortest suboccipitobregmatic diameter to progress through the birth canal.
What occurs during internal rotation?
The occiput rotates toward the anterior axis, usually toward the symphysis pubis.