How to Treat Cephalopelvic Disproportion

Cephalopelvic Disproportion (CPD) is a rare and often misdiagnosed condition affecting a woman's ability to have a vaginal delivery. Causes include an over-sized baby, a small or abnormally shaped pelvis or abnormal fetal position. There are measures that can be taken to treat suspected CPD before resorting to a C-section. Read on to learn how to treat cephalopelvic disproportion.

Instructions

Difficulty: Challenging

1. Measure the mother's pelvis through X-rays or a CT scan to rule out any abnormalities. Physicians often recommend a CT scan, because of the lower dose of radiation involved. Both procedures result in roughly the same measurements.
2. Encourage the mother during a long labor that she can deliver vaginally. It is believed that a woman's confidence and motivation to persevere through a lengthy labor can help her work through suspected CPD and deliver vaginally. Give her as much positive support as possible.
3. Have the mother squat or assume another upright position during labor, as this affects a pelvis' measurements. Squatting increases pelvic capacity by nearly 30 percent.
4. Perform a C-section if all other measures fail. The safety of the mother and baby are paramount in a delivery.

Tips & Warnings

• Evidence proves that if you had a CPD diagnosis and delivered by C-section with a previous baby, you still may have a future vaginal delivery.
• The most common birthing position in the United States, half-reclined on a birthing table, isn't conducive to CPD, because it restricts pelvic movement and adjustment for birthing by having the mother's weight rest on her coccyx.
• Some hospitals won't conduct X-rays on a mother and fetus due to concerns of radiation exposure.