Wood's screw maneuver is practiced in

obstetrics Obstetrics is the field of study concentrated on pregnancy, childbirth and the postpartum period. As a medical specialty, obstetrics is combined with gynecology under the discipline known as obstetrics and gynecology (OB/GYN), which is a su ...

when dealing with

shoulder dystocia Shoulder dystocia occurs after vaginal delivery of the head, when the baby's anterior shoulder is obstructed by the mother's pubic bone. It is typically diagnosed when the baby's shoulders fail to deliver despite gentle downward traction on the b ...

– a condition in which the

fetal A fetus or foetus (; : fetuses, foetuses, rarely feti or foeti) is the unborn offspring of a viviparous animal that develops from an embryo. Following the embryonic stage, the fetal stage of development takes place. Prenatal development is a ...

shoulders cannot easily pass through the

vagina In mammals and other animals, the vagina (: vaginas or vaginae) is the elastic, muscular sex organ, reproductive organ of the female genital tract. In humans, it extends from the vulval vestibule to the cervix (neck of the uterus). The #Vag ...

. In this maneuver the anterior shoulder is pushed towards the baby's chest, and the posterior shoulder is pushed towards the baby's back, making the baby's head somewhat face the mother's rectum. This maneuver is tried only after the

McRoberts maneuver The McRoberts maneuver is an obstetrical maneuver used to assist in childbirth. It is named after William A. McRoberts, Jr. It is employed in case of shoulder dystocia during childbirth and involves hyperflexing the mother's legs tightly to h ...

, and application of suprapubic (lower abdomen) pressure have been tried. It is named after Wood, who was the first to examine this maneuver in detail.

References

{{Obstetrical procedures Obstetrical procedures

See also

References