Tag: delivery instruments

Outlet forceps are a type of medical instrument used in childbirth as an alternative to vacuum extraction. They offer advantages such as avoiding the need for a caesarean section, reducing delivery time, and being compatible with head presentation. However, there are also potential complications associated with their use, including bruising the baby, severe vaginal tears, nerve damage, membrane rupture, skull fractures, and cervical cord injury. Maternal factors for forceps use include exhaustion, prolonged second stage of labor, maternal illness, hemorrhaging, and drug-related inhibition of maternal effort. Fetal factors include non-reassuring fetal heart tracing, fetal distress, and after-coming head in breech delivery. Complications for the baby include cuts, bruises, facial nerve injury, clavicle fracture, and an increased risk of intracranial hemorrhage. Complications for the mother include perineal lacerations, pelvic organ prolapse, incontinence, increased postnatal recovery time and pain, and difficulty evacuating during recovery. The article also discusses different types of forceps used in obstetrics, including outlet forceps which have specific curves designed to match the fetal head and the birth canal. Overall, forceps have played a significant role in the medicalization of childbirth but have also faced criticism and decreased in use with the introduction of cesarean sections and vacuum extraction.