A 20-year-old woman who is pregnant with her first child has been laboring for 14 hours with very minimal progress. Cervical dilatation and effacement are slow, and the nurse is unable to verify engagement of the presenting fetal part. What condition should the nurse suspect may be affecting the patient's labor?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The slow cervical dilatation and effacement, lack of engagement of the fetal presenting part, and prolonged labor are all signs of possible cephalopelvic disproportion (CPD), which occurs when the fetal head is too large to pass through the maternal pelvis. Prolapsed cord, placenta accreta, and occiput anterior fetal position may also affect labor, but they would not necessarily present with the same symptoms as CPD.

A 20-Year-Old Woman Who Is Pregnant with Her First Child