Shoulder dystocia is characterized by which of the following?

• A. Difficulty delivering the shoulders (Shoulders get stuck)
• B. Head delivering first
• C. Placenta detaching early
• D. Umbilical cord wrapped around neck

Answer: (B)

Shoulder dystocia is defined by difficulty delivering the shoulders after the head has already delivered. Once the head is born, the shoulders fail to pass through easily, often becoming wedged behind the pubic bone, which requires specific maneuvers to free them. This is an obstetric emergency because the delay can risk fetal hypoxia and maternal injury, so prompt recognition and action are essential.

The other scenarios are separate issues. Early detachment of the placenta describes placental abruption, not shoulder dystocia. A nuchal cord refers to the umbilical cord wrapped around the neck, which is a different complication. The fact that the head delivers before the body is not itself the problem; in most vaginal births the head precedes the shoulders, but shoulder dystocia is about the shoulders getting stuck after the head is delivered.