OBSTRUCTED LABOR

RISK FACTORS & OUTCOME AMONG WOMEN DELIVERED IN A TERTIARY CARE HOSPITAL

Abstract

The women of developing countries are at risk of pregnancy-related
complications including pre-eclampsia/ eclampsia, obstructed labor, sepsis etc. Obstructed
labor results due to three delays while woman is full term & is in labor. If detected and managed
early and correctly, the pregnancies can be made safe and may result in birth of healthy
babies. Objectives: (1) To assess frequency of obstructed labor among pregnant women. (2)
To determine socio-demographic risk factors associated with obstructed labor among study
population. (3)To determine outcomes of obstructed labor among pregnant women. Study
Design: It was a hospital based descriptive cross sectional study. Period: Two months. Setting:
Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics units I, II and III of Liaquat University Hospital
(LUH) Hyderabad. Methods: To estimate the frequency, risk factors & outcomes of obstructed
labor as of third trimester adverse pregnancy outcomes & to seek association of this adverse
pregnancy outcome with the socio-demographic characteristics of the pregnant women i.e.
their age, residence, parity, level of education & socio economic class. Results: Out of total six
hundred & nine women enrolled in the study, only 22 (3.61%) were in obstructed labor. 63.64%
of them were of age > 30 years. More than 60% women in obstructed labor had reported from
rural areas; and more than eighty percent of them were illiterate & belonged to lower socioeconomic
class. Only 4.55% of the women in obstructed labor were the booked cases. All the
cases of obstructed labor were at full term. Cesarean section was done on 90.90% women. Not
a single maternal mortality was reported among women enrolled in the study as obstructed
labor. Conclusion: Neglected obstructed labor is a major public health issue. It can be avoided
by addressing various socio-demographic determinants of pregnant women.