Cephalopelvic Disproportion: A Problem That Might Occur In Pregnancy

Cephalopelvic disproportion is one of the problems in pregnancy. It happens when the baby inside the mother's womb is too big to pass through the pelvis of the mother. This incident will lead to a prolongation of labor. As a result, the mother will be advised to deliver the baby through a ceasarian section, which is the safest one.

There are some causes of cephalopelvic disproportion. These are: abnormally shaped or a small pelvis; abnormal position of the fetus; and a huge baby related to heredity, diabetes, fetus that has passed its due date of delivery, and multiparity, which means more than one pregnancy.

To diagnose accurately cephalopelvic disproportion, a physical exam which measures the pelvic size of the mother is being done. If this exam is impossible, oxytocin is often administered to aid in labor progress or a change in the position of the fetus. This condition is rarely diagnosed before labor even if the fetus is believed to be too large or the mother's pelvis is too small. Though ultrasounds sometimes are used in estimating the fetal size but it is not much accurate in obtaining the weight of the fetus.

However, cephalopelvic disproportion is rare. It occurs in 2 out of 500 pregnancies. Once a mother is being diagnosed having this problem in her first pregnancy, this does not mean that she will be having this kind of problem in her next pregnancy. So there is no need to worry. It is still advisable that you need to keep a regular check-up with your health care provider to monitor the progress of pregnancy and to plan ahead of time for the preparation of your delivery. According to a study that was published, more than 65% of women were able to deliver vaginally in their next pregnancy after being diagnosed with CPD in her first pregnancy.