Arrest of Descent in the Second Stage of Labor – Incidence, Labor Outcomes, and Predictors of Cesarean Section: A Retrospective Case–Control Study in a Secondary Care Setting

Background: Arrest of descent is the failure of active descent of the fetal head in the second stage for over 1 h, resulting in either an instrumental delivery or a second-stage cesarean section (CS) which is known to be associated with increased maternal and perinatal complications. Methodology: Th...

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Main Authors: Tobey Ann Marcus, D. Anita Shirley, Shalini Jeyapaul, Venkata Raghava Mohan, Anne George Cherian
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications 2025-07-01
Series:Current Medical Issues
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Online Access:https://journals.lww.com/10.4103/cmi.cmi_10_25
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author Tobey Ann Marcus
D. Anita Shirley
Shalini Jeyapaul
Venkata Raghava Mohan
Anne George Cherian
author_facet Tobey Ann Marcus
D. Anita Shirley
Shalini Jeyapaul
Venkata Raghava Mohan
Anne George Cherian
author_sort Tobey Ann Marcus
collection DOAJ
description Background: Arrest of descent is the failure of active descent of the fetal head in the second stage for over 1 h, resulting in either an instrumental delivery or a second-stage cesarean section (CS) which is known to be associated with increased maternal and perinatal complications. Methodology: The delivery records of 18,508 women were retrospectively reviewed. The objective of the study was to estimate the incidence, determine predictors of the arrest of descent in the second stage of labor, compare outcomes of deliveries with and without the arrest of descent, and outline predictors for CS. Women with singleton vertex pregnancy and unscarred uterus who had the arrest of descent in the second stage of labor were cases (n = 123) and controls (in a ratio of 1:2) were women who delivered vaginally without the arrest of descent. Birth data and outcomes were entered into Excel and analyzed using SPSS v 24.0. Results: There were 816 women, who had an arrest of descent in the second stage of labor (44 per 1000 births). Nulliparity (P < 0.001, odds ratio [OR]: 4.6), prelabor rupture of membranes (P = 0.002, OR: 2.2), birth weight >3000 g (P = 0.003, OR: 2.0), pelvic assessment showing doubtful adequacy (P < 0.001, OR: 24.08), and the presence of large caput (P < 0.001, OR: 4.453) were found to be significantly associated with arrest of descent. Complications such as postpartum hemorrhage (P < 0.001, OR: 3.568), postnatal fever (P < 0.001, OR: 3.693), and neonatal intensive care unit admission (P < 0.001, OR: 2.242) were significantly higher in the cases. Logistic regression was done to determine predictors of cesarean delivery and the presence of a large caput was the only significantly associated factor (OR: 6.429, P = 0.002). Conclusion: These findings can be used to facilitate early decision-making about the mode of delivery in women with arrest of descent, and early specialist involvement, particularly in low-resource settings.
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spelling doaj-art-bdce681d4b8c4dfc8695365f0960b4bb2025-08-20T03:39:57ZengWolters Kluwer Medknow PublicationsCurrent Medical Issues0973-46512666-40542025-07-0123316216810.4103/cmi.cmi_10_25Arrest of Descent in the Second Stage of Labor – Incidence, Labor Outcomes, and Predictors of Cesarean Section: A Retrospective Case–Control Study in a Secondary Care SettingTobey Ann MarcusD. Anita ShirleyShalini JeyapaulVenkata Raghava MohanAnne George CherianBackground: Arrest of descent is the failure of active descent of the fetal head in the second stage for over 1 h, resulting in either an instrumental delivery or a second-stage cesarean section (CS) which is known to be associated with increased maternal and perinatal complications. Methodology: The delivery records of 18,508 women were retrospectively reviewed. The objective of the study was to estimate the incidence, determine predictors of the arrest of descent in the second stage of labor, compare outcomes of deliveries with and without the arrest of descent, and outline predictors for CS. Women with singleton vertex pregnancy and unscarred uterus who had the arrest of descent in the second stage of labor were cases (n = 123) and controls (in a ratio of 1:2) were women who delivered vaginally without the arrest of descent. Birth data and outcomes were entered into Excel and analyzed using SPSS v 24.0. Results: There were 816 women, who had an arrest of descent in the second stage of labor (44 per 1000 births). Nulliparity (P < 0.001, odds ratio [OR]: 4.6), prelabor rupture of membranes (P = 0.002, OR: 2.2), birth weight >3000 g (P = 0.003, OR: 2.0), pelvic assessment showing doubtful adequacy (P < 0.001, OR: 24.08), and the presence of large caput (P < 0.001, OR: 4.453) were found to be significantly associated with arrest of descent. Complications such as postpartum hemorrhage (P < 0.001, OR: 3.568), postnatal fever (P < 0.001, OR: 3.693), and neonatal intensive care unit admission (P < 0.001, OR: 2.242) were significantly higher in the cases. Logistic regression was done to determine predictors of cesarean delivery and the presence of a large caput was the only significantly associated factor (OR: 6.429, P = 0.002). Conclusion: These findings can be used to facilitate early decision-making about the mode of delivery in women with arrest of descent, and early specialist involvement, particularly in low-resource settings.https://journals.lww.com/10.4103/cmi.cmi_10_25arrest of descentinstrumental deliverylow-resource settingssecondary care settingsecond-stage cesarean delivery
spellingShingle Tobey Ann Marcus
D. Anita Shirley
Shalini Jeyapaul
Venkata Raghava Mohan
Anne George Cherian
Arrest of Descent in the Second Stage of Labor – Incidence, Labor Outcomes, and Predictors of Cesarean Section: A Retrospective Case–Control Study in a Secondary Care Setting
Current Medical Issues
arrest of descent
instrumental delivery
low-resource settings
secondary care setting
second-stage cesarean delivery
title Arrest of Descent in the Second Stage of Labor – Incidence, Labor Outcomes, and Predictors of Cesarean Section: A Retrospective Case–Control Study in a Secondary Care Setting
title_full Arrest of Descent in the Second Stage of Labor – Incidence, Labor Outcomes, and Predictors of Cesarean Section: A Retrospective Case–Control Study in a Secondary Care Setting
title_fullStr Arrest of Descent in the Second Stage of Labor – Incidence, Labor Outcomes, and Predictors of Cesarean Section: A Retrospective Case–Control Study in a Secondary Care Setting
title_full_unstemmed Arrest of Descent in the Second Stage of Labor – Incidence, Labor Outcomes, and Predictors of Cesarean Section: A Retrospective Case–Control Study in a Secondary Care Setting
title_short Arrest of Descent in the Second Stage of Labor – Incidence, Labor Outcomes, and Predictors of Cesarean Section: A Retrospective Case–Control Study in a Secondary Care Setting
title_sort arrest of descent in the second stage of labor incidence labor outcomes and predictors of cesarean section a retrospective case control study in a secondary care setting
topic arrest of descent
instrumental delivery
low-resource settings
secondary care setting
second-stage cesarean delivery
url https://journals.lww.com/10.4103/cmi.cmi_10_25
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